ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors analyse the daily Web and social media use patterns of political actors. Seven main themes arose from their findings: predominantly personal politics; prominence of anonymous and negative campaigning; focus on one platform; symbiotic relationship with traditional media; increased use of custom-made technology; high level of civic engagement; and extensive use of memes and satire. The election to the 19th Knesset was held on 23 January 2013. This election was held in a context were social media were embedded in the daily life of Israeli society, the digital literacy of users and candidates was quite high, and ready-to-use tools shifted the use of social media in elections from depending on professionals only to independent use. New applications were developed during the election period for the specific purpose of disseminating electoral messages. Some applications were generated to share political messages humorously, or in a unique way, for example by using gamification.
