- The YouTube channel of independent journalist Eva Bartlett was removed. It served as a platform for the meticulous documentation of Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinians.
- ‘Quds News Network’ (a Palestinians news outlet) was also removed.
YouTube recently removed the channel of the independent journalist Eva Bartlett, who has diligently chronicled transgressions committed by Israel in the Gaza region. The decision to do so was likely influenced by the Anti-defamation League (ADL), an organisation known to collaborate closely with YouTube in the capacity of a content “flagger.” The ADL has actively engaged in the mass removal of content originating from Palestinian sources, which presented unaltered, firsthand evidence of Israel’s occupation and war crimes.
Furthermore, Facebook has undertaken the removal of the ‘Quds News Network,’ a Palestinian media establishment, from its platform. It is worth noting that the Facebook oversight board counts among its members the former Israeli government censor, Emi Palmor, who is renowned for her establishment of the Israeli Cyber Unit. This unit, in turn, is responsible for the systematic takedown of social media accounts.
In addition, social media activist Manar Adler’s post, which provided a history of Gaza, was also taken down.
Notably, a 1969 FBI memorandum raised concerns regarding the ADL’s possible role as an intelligence conduit for Israel, masquerading under the facade of a civil rights entity. It was even suggested that the ADL ought to register as a foreign agent. The historical record reflects the ADL’s past actions, including espionage activities directed towards South African anti-Apartheid activists, such as Desmond Tutu, where intelligence gathered was clandestinely forwarded to Israel’s Mossad and the Israeli government. This pattern of infiltrating groups with the aim of collecting information for Israeli intelligence agencies is another disconcerting facet of the ADL’s history.
The fundamental value of free speech (not hate speech) seems to be applied disparately, resulting in the troubling silencing of Palestinian voices. This raises significant concerns about the disproportionate restrictions placed activists and journalists reporting the truth. Moreover, the constraints placed on Palestinians in sharing their harrowing experiences and narratives are already compounded by the challenging circumstance of ongoing total blackout in the region.
Furthermore, prominent Muslim YouTube channels in multiple languages are currently experiencing a targeted campaign from the Israeli Defence Force, featuring Pro-Israel advertisements.
