הדהודים אירוניים כאסטרטגיה של השתקה בתגוביות לפוסטים של פוליטיקאים בפייסבוק

The paper discusses ironic echoes in online comments to Benjamin Netanyahu's and Benny Gantz's Facebook posts in two election campaigns in 2019. I focus on ironic echoes of extreme, fictitious thoughts or statements that the commenters themselves attribute to the candidates from the opposing political camp or to their supporters.These include manipulative plans, and the "real" motives and goals behind the politicians' messages as well as expressions of naïveté, obedience and blind admiration on behalf of their supporters. I argue that the echoes of fictitious thoughts and statements fulfill two key functions: first, bringing their contents in the public discourse to the surface in order to shame and ridicule the politicians, as well as their supporters. Second, silencing real, authentic, similar future voices that are allegedly as extreme or immoral as the fictitious thoughts and statements that have been echoed.