Facebook labels Palestinian journalism “hate speech”
By Ali Abunimah,
Electronic
Intifada, 27 March 2018
Electronic
Intifada, 27 March 2018
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, meets
with military personnel at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island, May 2017.
The social media giant has proven eager to comply with censorship orders from
powerful governments, especially the US and Israel. (US Naval War College)
with military personnel at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island, May 2017.
The social media giant has proven eager to comply with censorship orders from
powerful governments, especially the US and Israel. (US Naval War College)
Facebook is defending its decision to shut
down the page of a major Palestinian news outlet, describing the action as a
move against “hate speech.”
down the page of a major Palestinian news outlet, describing the action as a
move against “hate speech.”
On Saturday, the social media giant closed without warning the page of the
Safa Palestinian Press Agency, which had 1.3 million followers, as well as
Safa’s account on the photo sharing site Instagram.
Safa Palestinian Press Agency, which had 1.3 million followers, as well as
Safa’s account on the photo sharing site Instagram.
On Tuesday, the Palestinian Media
Association condemned Facebook’s widening assault on
the free speech of Palestinian journalists, calling it “clear submission to the
policies and dictates of the Israeli occupation which is pursuing Palestinian
activists on the basis of their political views and intellectual positions and
issuing prison sentences against them.”
Association condemned Facebook’s widening assault on
the free speech of Palestinian journalists, calling it “clear submission to the
policies and dictates of the Israeli occupation which is pursuing Palestinian
activists on the basis of their political views and intellectual positions and
issuing prison sentences against them.”
But Facebook is justifying the removal of
Safa’s account. “This page was correctly removed for violating our community
standards,” a company spokesperson emailed The Electronic Intifada Monday
evening. “There is no room for hate speech or incitement of violence on our
platform.”
Safa’s account. “This page was correctly removed for violating our community
standards,” a company spokesperson emailed The Electronic Intifada Monday
evening. “There is no room for hate speech or incitement of violence on our
platform.”
The spokesperson provided no evidence to
back up the company’s accusations against Safa, but asserted, “We care about
the voices, opinion and rights of all the different communities on Facebook;
however, keeping our community safe is our priority.”
back up the company’s accusations against Safa, but asserted, “We care about
the voices, opinion and rights of all the different communities on Facebook;
however, keeping our community safe is our priority.”
By referring to “hate speech” and
“incitement” as justifications to silence journalists, Facebook has adopted the
framework of Israel, which routinely uses such broad and ill-defined terms to
describe virtually all criticism of its violent military occupation over
Palestinians or of its state ideology, Zionism.
“incitement” as justifications to silence journalists, Facebook has adopted the
framework of Israel, which routinely uses such broad and ill-defined terms to
describe virtually all criticism of its violent military occupation over
Palestinians or of its state ideology, Zionism.
The company did not respond to a question
about whether it had taken the action against Safa based on a request from
Israel.
about whether it had taken the action against Safa based on a request from
Israel.
“Eagerness”
The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald has previously written and spoken about Facebook’s collusion with
Israel and the United States to silence voices they don’t like.
Israel and the United States to silence voices they don’t like.
“Facebook has repeatedly demonstrated its
willingness – at times bordering on eagerness – to curry favor with powerful
governments by deleting content that they dislike,” Greenwald told The
Electronic Intifada on Tuesday.
willingness – at times bordering on eagerness – to curry favor with powerful
governments by deleting content that they dislike,” Greenwald told The
Electronic Intifada on Tuesday.
“One of the countries to which Facebook
has proven itself most subservient is the Israeli government, and as a result,
it has engaged in a year-long censorship spree against Palestinians whose crime
is that they express views and engage in activism that Israeli officials
dislike.”
has proven itself most subservient is the Israeli government, and as a result,
it has engaged in a year-long censorship spree against Palestinians whose crime
is that they express views and engage in activism that Israeli officials
dislike.”
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz,
Facebook’s latest crackdown on Palestinian journalists and activists began
several weeks ago, after Israeli occupation forces extrajudicially executed Ahmad Nasser
Jarrar, a man Israel claims was involved in the shooting death of an Israeli
settler in early January.
Facebook’s latest crackdown on Palestinian journalists and activists began
several weeks ago, after Israeli occupation forces extrajudicially executed Ahmad Nasser
Jarrar, a man Israel claims was involved in the shooting death of an Israeli
settler in early January.
Israeli lawmakers also discussed how to suppress online content,
including getting Facebook to take down images of Jarrar.
including getting Facebook to take down images of Jarrar.
Since the beginning of the year, Haaretz says,
citing an unnamed Palestinian activist who monitors the issue, about 500
Facebook pages of Palestinian activists and journalists have been closed by the
company.
citing an unnamed Palestinian activist who monitors the issue, about 500
Facebook pages of Palestinian activists and journalists have been closed by the
company.
Wide-ranging
coverage
coverage
According to Haaretz, Safa has
been operating for a decade as a “Hamas-affiliated” counterpart to Wafa, the
official Palestinian news agency that is controlled by the Palestinian
Authority and the Fatah faction led by Mahmoud Abbas.
been operating for a decade as a “Hamas-affiliated” counterpart to Wafa, the
official Palestinian news agency that is controlled by the Palestinian
Authority and the Fatah faction led by Mahmoud Abbas.
But Safa’s website shows that its reporting is
fairly typical of a wide range of Palestinian media outlets, covering violence
by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians, local, regional and
international politics, and human interest stories.
fairly typical of a wide range of Palestinian media outlets, covering violence
by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians, local, regional and
international politics, and human interest stories.
The outlet carries reports on the
activities of all political factions. On Tuesday, for instance, one of its lead
stories was on a cabinet meeting led by Rami Hamdallah, the PA
prime minister, in which Hamdallah asserted that his government “will not
abandon our people in Gaza.”
activities of all political factions. On Tuesday, for instance, one of its lead
stories was on a cabinet meeting led by Rami Hamdallah, the PA
prime minister, in which Hamdallah asserted that his government “will not
abandon our people in Gaza.”
Hamas and the PA remain bitter rivals over who should run
Gaza.
Gaza.
The report includes the PA’s claims about
the achievements of its efforts in Gaza, such as bringing together 55 countries
at a donors conference last week to fund a $565 million water desalination
plant in the Israeli-blockaded coastal territory.
the achievements of its efforts in Gaza, such as bringing together 55 countries
at a donors conference last week to fund a $565 million water desalination
plant in the Israeli-blockaded coastal territory.
Another report Tuesday carries a
statement by Abbas’ official spokesperson describing recent US decisions to cut
aid to the PA as “a war on our people.”
statement by Abbas’ official spokesperson describing recent US decisions to cut
aid to the PA as “a war on our people.”
Obeying
censorship
censorship
Palestinians are avid users of Facebook
and it is often a primary source of information about what is happening in
their communities.
and it is often a primary source of information about what is happening in
their communities.
But social media has made it hard for
Israel’s censors to control information flowing from and to Palestinians under
their military rule.
Israel’s censors to control information flowing from and to Palestinians under
their military rule.
Last week, an Israeli military court sentenced Palestinian teenager Ahed
Tamimi to eight months in prison for slapping a heavily armed occupation
soldier in the West Bank.
Tamimi to eight months in prison for slapping a heavily armed occupation
soldier in the West Bank.
It also sentenced her mother Nariman for
filming the incident and streaming it on Facebook.
filming the incident and streaming it on Facebook.
Israel’s persecution of the Tamimi family
over the incident has become an international rallying point for Palestine
solidarity.
over the incident has become an international rallying point for Palestine
solidarity.
But for now, Israel appears to have solved
its Facebook problem by leaning on the company to submit to its commands.
its Facebook problem by leaning on the company to submit to its commands.
According to Glenn Greenwald, “Facebook
has empowered Israeli officials to control its content by obeying their
censorship dictates in almost all cases.”
has empowered Israeli officials to control its content by obeying their
censorship dictates in almost all cases.”
