Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses the the 2021 Haifa Law Conference. Photo: GPO / Amos Ben-Gershom

i24 News – Israeli President Isaac Herzog, in collaboration with Facebook’s Meta in Israel, launched the “Think Good” campaign on Tuesday in an effort to change online discourse.

As part of the initiative, celebrities and public figures in Israel will share video clips of themselves reading the most hurtful responses that they received online.

Offensive words will be censored and overlaid with words of positive reinforcement, as seen in a video that Herzog tweeted of himself.

The effort comes in light of President Herzog’s inaugural address when he voiced how “words carry incredible power.”

He further called on “leaders to act with responsibility … and resist giving license to hate speech.”

Born out of a commitment to stop cyberbullying, the purpose of the initiative is to expose the harsh reality of the online environment.

The campaign also seeks to encourage an inclusive discourse on social media.

Upon the announcement of the campaign, Herzog explained that “Think Good” will raise “public awareness about the power of words online,” adding how important it is to “expose … the pain of reading nasty replies.”

Some participants will specifically address young audiences, sharing tips for youth to stay safe online.

Among those joining the campaign will be Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, and other Knesset members.

Adi Soffer-Teeni, Country Director of Meta in Israel, said that the initiative will “spark a discussion and make a clear statement against a phenomenon that has no place on our platforms.”

“We have an uncompromising commitment to provide a safe and positive experience for the billions of people using our platforms,” Soffer-Teeni said.