A video that has recently become viral allegedly depicts 6 to 8 young Israeli children, aged approximately 6 months to 2 years, being confined by Hamas in cages.
When this video emerged, it triggered a collective sense of anger among Israelis. The universal human emotions and empathy came into play. Consequently, it instantaneously infuriated young Israelis, giving them a reason for the war and their willingness to sacrifice.
In fact, this same group of young Israelis were originally protesting on the streets against the current right-wing Israeli government. However, the deliberately circulated videos purportedly showcasing the irrational side of Palestinians significantly fueled their will to fight. They are now willing to set aside or alter their respective political objectives and let their anger erase the bounds of rationality, squarely targeting Arabs. This is the essence of information warfare.
In practice, information warfare is also being used on the Ukrainian battlefield. Ukrainians were originally divided and focused on their own interests. Then suddenly, the Ukrainians transformed into incredible elite fighters among European nations. Several emotionally charged narratives played a key role in this transformation. One was Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision not to flee and become a self-sacrificing hero. Another was the older generation of Ukrainians who calmly took up arms to defend their homes, which inspired the younger generation. Finally, there were touching stories captured in photos, like a young father comforting his child on a train platform, and sending off his wife and son before turning to join the fight. These are all cognitive operations, a form of information warfare that utilizes information to drive people toward specific directions and influence their hearts and minds. The power of human nature is the strongest force, and if information warfare can tap into human nature, it becomes the most successful modern ideological weapon.
Information warfare is an age-old concept, but for many decades, people have been accustomed to talking about it merely theoretically. There have been many so-called experts who know little about the effective use of information to achieve victory. Ukraine was the first country to successfully employ information, thereby educating people worldwide who work with information. Israelis have learned the lessons from this, and they seem to be on the path to success in information warfare as well. In today's world, many no longer see Palestinians as humans but rather as beasts to be eradicated, which is precisely what Israelis want. Previously, the world thought that Israelis were bullying and oppressing Palestinians, which led developed countries to provide aid and financial support to Palestinians. Now, civilized Europeans seem to have suddenly realized the reasons why this can no longer be continued, as well as the reasons for the Palestinians to be eradicated.
In this world of information, sanity has become a rarity.
