Competitive identities on social media: Framing in the Palestinian and Israeli foreign ministries Facebook pages

Abstract

The study examines the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs social media use via the Simon Anholt Competitive identity approach. A content analysis is used to compare the Facebook pages of the Palestinian Ministry and of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It investigates the topics and frames each side is using. In addition, the study uses interviews with representatives from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The study finds that the Palestinian government discusses humanitarian topics using labels of Palestinians, while the Israeli page discusses public diplomacy through societal frames promoting culture and tourism.