The social media sites serve, without a doubt, as important platforms in the hands of jihadist activists for transmitting messages about recruitment, for indoctrination, and for other uses. The serious terror attacks that occurred on November 13 in Paris significantly enhanced the impassioned and inciting discourse fueled by jihadist activists, and specifically by the Islamic State, denouncing France. For example, a new Twitter hashtag was launched on November 15, called “Paris Before Rome” (#باريس_قبل_روما). The discourse is mainly characterized by praises for the recent terror attacks, and calls for intensifying the acts against France and its institutions around the world.[1]

A graph depicting the exposure of Twitter users to the hashtag “Paris before Rome”[2]

A prominent trend on the social networks is the call for imitating the methods of actions taken during the terror attacks in Paris, and to embrace the “lone wolf” method – terror attacks involving lone perpetrators. That is due to the great difficulty intelligence agencies have in identifying lone terrorists, a minimal investment on the part of the terrorist in preparing for a lone attack, and the extensive media coverage such attacks merit. On November 16, a supporter of the Islamic State offered to contact jihad activists in order to receive guidance and assistance in preparing a “lone wolf” attack.[3] On that same day, a visitor by the name of Abu Ziyad published a list of suggestions for lone wolves, including: