As of May 28th 2024, social media is being filled with an image stating the following words: “All Eyes on Rafah.” The statement’s words call attention to a certain region or state, but the reason it is taking the internet by storm is because of the recent conflict regarding Palestine and Israel. This image has also been said to be AI generated by a Malaysian user. According to NBC news, there have been over 37 million shares on instagram in less than 24 hours.
A little boy is playing with his friends one minute, and the next minute there is a blazing fire with screams for help where they once used to hangout. This is currently what is happening to the Palestinians and Israelis running and fighting for their lives. Sometimes it is hard to face reality, which is why the general public with the most privilege needs to keep their eyes on Rafah.
In the image, the words “All Eyes on Rafah” are spelled out with refugee tents. This is the first time that an AI generated image has been used to make such a bold political statement. Since this image has made such a big impact on social media, it is easy to predict that there will be more AI generated images in the future, and hopefully for a good cause.
“All Eyes on Rafah” is a powerful phrase meant for the civilians that are not being faced with war and tragic missile strikes to take time out of their fortunate days and to not look away from what is happening in Rafah. It is telling everyone to keep the 1.4 million people who are fleeing from their homes. A simple phrase. To keep in mind what you have and what others don’t, so that hopefully people start recognizing what is happening.
