The Palestine Digital Activist Forum (PDAF) is an annual digital event focused on digital rights and digital activism among Palestinians. The organization focuses on issues like artificial intelligence, digital discrimination, and social media. PDAF is a project of 7amleh, also known as the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, a Haifa-based organization that the State of Israel alleges has ties to a Palestinian terrorist organization. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Activities
The Palestine Digital Activist Forum is an annual gathering hosted by 7amleh (pronounced “hamleh”), an organization focused on digital rights for Palestinians. 7 The event is free and held online. 8
The Forum, held annually since 2017, is an initiative to provide Palestinian digital activists a platform, develop social media activity in and outside of the Palestinian territories, and counter threats faced by Palestinian activists. 9
While PDAF’s website is entirely in Arabic, the organization provides an option to translate the site to English. 10
The subject of the 2024 Palestine Digital Activist Forum was “Artificial intelligence: revolutionary promises and discriminatory reality.” The forum was held from June 4 to June 5, 2024. Promotional materials for the 2024 Forum claimed that AI has led to the “dehumanization of Palestinians” and that AI technologies “fuel their oppression and occupation, while also perpetuating racist and dehumanizing narratives.” The organization also claims AI-based facial recognition “makes life-or-death decisions about Palestinians” and that Israel used an AI system to conduct bombing operations on civilians in Gaza. Further, PDAF claimed AI generators depicted Arab children with guns when given the prompt “Palestinian.” PDAF connects perceived AI oppression with other left-of-center concerns, including the claim that AI energy use “puts climate progress at risk” and that AI hiring tools are “less likely to pick non male [sic] and non white [sic] candidates.” 11 12
Events at the 2024 Palestine Digital Activist Forum included talks on ensuring “a Globally-inclusive [sic] Response to Deceptive AI Technologies,” dehumanization and bias against Palestinians and “Marginalized Communities” in AI, and how to use AI to combat hate speech. 13 14
Previous Palestine Digital Activist Forums focused on the themes of “Digital Solidarity for Justice,” the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Palestinian digital advocacy, the threat Israeli laws pose to Palestinian digital rights, and “Ending Digital Discrimination against Palestinians.” 15 16 17 18
Senator Elizabeth Warren Controversy
In May 2024, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) rescinded a video message on artificial intelligence scheduled to be featured at the Palestine Digital Activist Forum in June 2024 after it was discovered that another scheduled speaker at the event, Nevin Abu Rahmoun, posted a message of support for the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Facebook. Rahmoun is a board member of 7amleh, the organization that hosts PDAF. 7amleh’s project coordinator similarly posted after the October 7th attack that “the only important value of a human being living under occupation is the extent of his resistance to that occupation, in all possible means.” 19
Parent Organization and Partners
The Palestine Digital Activist Forum is a project of 7amleh (pronounced “hamleh”), also known as the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media. 7amleh is a nonprofit that advocates for the digital rights of Palestinians and promotes digital activism and security. 7amleh is also a founding member of the Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition which includes organizations that Israel claims are front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a United States-designated terrorist organization. 20 21 22
Partners of the Palestine Digital Activist Forum include TikTok, Jewish Voice for Peace, Amnesty International, Palestinian Vision, Witness, Digital Action, Al-Shabaka, Women Against Violence, MPower Change, American Muslims for Palestine, European Legal Support Center, and Social Development Forum. 23
References
- “On the Palestine Forum for Digital Advocacy.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-montada.
- “About Theme.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-theme.
- “The seventh edition of the Palestine Digital Activist Forum 2023 concludes with the participation of 1400 from across the world.” 7amleh. Accessed Jun 12, 2024. https://7amleh.org/2023/05/25/the-seventh-edition-of-the-palestine-digital-activism-forum-2023-concludes-with-the-participation-of-1500-from-across-the-world.
- “About PDAF.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-montada.
- “About 7amleh.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about.
- Jacobs, Emily and Lahav Harkov. “Elizabeth Warren withdraws from Palestinian conference over organizers’ Oct. 7 praise.” Jewish Insider. May 30, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/elizabeth-warren-withdraws-from-palestinian-conference-over-organizers-oct-7-praise/.
- Jacobs, Emily and Lahav Harkov. “Elizabeth Warren withdraws from Palestinian conference over organizers’ Oct. 7 praise.” Jewish Insider. May 30, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/elizabeth-warren-withdraws-from-palestinian-conference-over-organizers-oct-7-praise/.
- “Question.” PDAF. Accessed Jun 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/question.
- “On the Palestine Forum for Digital Advocacy.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-montada.
- “On the Palestine Forum for Digital Advocacy.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-montada.
- “Palestine Digital Activist Forum 2024.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/.
- “About Theme.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-theme.
- “First Day.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/events/1.
- “Second Day.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/events/2
- “Archive: 2022.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/archive/2022.
- “Archive: 2021.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/archive/2021.
- “Archive: 2019.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/archive/2019.
- “The seventh edition of the Palestine Digital Activist Forum 2023 concludes with the participation of 1400 from across the world.” 7amleh. Accessed Jun 12, 2024. https://7amleh.org/2023/05/25/the-seventh-edition-of-the-palestine-digital-activism-forum-2023-concludes-with-the-participation-of-1500-from-across-the-world.
- Jacobs, Emily and Lahav Harkov. “Elizabeth Warren withdraws from Palestinian conference over organizers’ Oct. 7 praise.” Jewish Insider. May 30, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/elizabeth-warren-withdraws-from-palestinian-conference-over-organizers-oct-7-praise/.
- “About PDAF.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-montada.
- “About 7amleh.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about.
- Jacobs, Emily and Lahav Harkov. “Elizabeth Warren withdraws from Palestinian conference over organizers’ Oct. 7 praise.” Jewish Insider. May 30, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/elizabeth-warren-withdraws-from-palestinian-conference-over-organizers-oct-7-praise/
- “Partners.” PDAF. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://2024.pdaf.net/about-sponsors.