This is the full version of an article published by Middle East Eye. It examines Israel’s social media crackdown not just inside Israel, but its attempt to police speech on social media platforms around the world. It also incorporates my personal bout of censorship at the hands of Twitter last month.
Over the past week, I also published another article there: What will Trump do about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance? Please read the articles and promote them on listservs, e-mail lists, online forums or social media platforms to which you belong.
The onslaught began after the 2016 presidential election in which Facebook was found to have shared the private information of over 100-million Americans in a massive, fraudulent political advertising campaign reportedly organized by the Russian government. The goal was to elect Donald Trump president. It succeeded beyond the Kremlin’s wildest dreams.
In the two years since, Americans have vilified Facebook for permitting itself to be exploited in such a fashion. As a result, the company has placed restrictions on use of its private data by third parties. It has also ferreted out and eliminated hundreds of pages which touted the fake news and persuaded so many Americans that their vote wasn’t worth casting.
Though many of these changes are welcome and have strengthened the security of the site and its users; the resulting added scrutiny has bled into other areas of the site, including political speech. Because so much of the fake news peddled on social media during the election was based on incendiary, bogus claims, all forms of political advocacy and speech have become suspect.
Israel and GOP Pressure Social Media, Alleging Bias
Facebook and its fellow social media platforms have also faced intense pressure from several different political constituencies. The far-right complains mightily about the prevailing liberal bias of Silicon Valley. It believes its voice is suppressed and discriminated against by the powers that be who “rule” the Valley. In truth, these companies have no ideology but capitalism. Making money and producing revenue are all that counts.
But such tech companies do fear government intervention in their marketplace, which is why one sees the corporate chieftains traipsing to Washington to reassure legislators that they are honest brokers who take their mission seriously to be an open forum of communication for all Americans.
The other major political force squeezing Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Sundar Pichai (Google) is, strangely enough, a particular foreign government and its U.S. domestic lobby. Israel in the past few years has become aware of the immense power of social media to shape brands and impact public perception. Its far-right government has designated a former backwater entity, the Strategic Affairs Ministry, as the spear-carrier for an international campaign to combat “delegitimization.” That is an awkward invented word connoting anyone who criticizes Israel or brings its reputation into disrepute.
Israel’s Public Enemy No. 1: BDS
Public enemy number one in this effort is the BDS movement, its leaders and those who support it worldwide. The ministry has a $50-million budget (some expenditures may be off-the-books) to conduct surveillance, opposition research, and dirty-ops to sabotage this effort to end Israeli Occupation. They’ve hired scores of former intelligence agents to perform these activities and demanded the ministry’s operation be conducted in secret.
Israel’s leadership sees social media as the cutting edge of world communication. It is there, they believe, that Israel’s reputation will be made or broken. As such, they’ve undertaken a massive lobbying campaign targeting the major companies and their corporate leadership. Israeli ministers have visited the Silicon Valley headquarters of Google and Facebook, meeting with executives and warning them that if they don’t police “anti-Israel” discourse on their platforms that the Israeli government will step in to do so. Zuckerberg sent his top executives to Israel for meetings with ministers, assuring them that their “concerns” would be heard and acted upon. And Facebook has acceded to many of these censorship demands. Google’s YouTube subsidiary has done the same.
Since this campaign began, the Israeli government has filed thousands of complaints about anti-Israel hate speech on these sites. The companies side with the Israeli authorities in the vast majority of cases. Israeli ministers have in turn boasted about their effectiveness in essentially stifling political speech in the most effective soapbox in the world.
Social Media Purge of Pro-Palestine Content
However, bending the knee to the Israel lobby has brought with it some embarrassment. Scores of Facebook pages belonging to Palestinian media outlets were shut down, some simply entirely disappeared without being offered an opportunity to appeal. Others were suspended temporarily and a vigorous protest campaign caused the company to relent.
Though Facebook never released any statement explaining a rationale for this purge of pro-Palestine pages, it seems clear that the lobbying by Israeli authorities and perhaps their direct complaints about the sites, led corporate censors to accede to the pressure.
Attacks on Israel-Related Free Speech in U.S. as Well
Social media companies are also cracking down on critical speech concerning Israel by U.S. users. In fact, my Twitter account was recently blocked by Twitter after I tweeted that foreign and Israeli media were misleading readers concerning coverage of the murder of Israeli-American settler, Ari Fuld, by a Palestinian attacker. Several media outlets called him a pro-Israel “activist,” using a term usually reserved for social justice or human rights advocates.
“A Palestinian Has Fatally Stabbed an American-Israeli Activist in the West Bank.” Wrong again. A militant, armed, messianic settler is NO activist. He is timebomb. https://t.co/ezrFdjgfs1
— Tikun Olam (@richards1052) September 17, 2018
In reality, Fuld was a heavily armed militant settler who embraced Palestine denial. He not only rejected the notion of a Palestinian state; he rejected the claim that Palestinians even existed. He has served in the élite paratroop division of the IDF and organized security patrols in his Efrat settlement.
After two pro-Israel social media provocateurs organized a massive attack on my account and scores, if not hundreds of pro-Israel users reported it for “promoting hate and violence.” They also posted death threats, suggested I commit suicide, warned me of a “beat-down,” wished that an ISIS terrorist would stab me to death, etc. None of these messages were flagged or censored.
The claim that my tweets incited violence was a fraud, but no amount of protest from my Twitter followers would move Twitter to review its decision. Then, Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada inquired with the Twitter media team about the status of my account. Almost immediately after receipt of his inquiry, the account was unblocked and my access restored.
Shin Bet Reliance on Artificial Intelligence Causes Embarrassment
On the Israeli domestic front, the Shin Bet has installed artificial intelligence software which crunches much of the social media content published by Palestinians. It reviews posts searching for trigger words and phrases which might indicate intent to engage in acts threatening Israel. Of course, how the spy agency determines what is a threat is the key issue. And its threshold is astoundingly low.
In one case, a Palestinian day laborer posted in Arabic “Good Morning” next to a picture of his bulldozer. A Shin Bet agent who did not read Arabic used a faulty Facebook translation which said: “hurt them.” The man was arrested as a potential terrorist. Though he was later released after a media outcry, this is not an unusual occurrence.
Famed Palestinian poet, Dareen Tatour, published a poem advocating Palestinian resistance against Occupation. Though nothing in her poem threatened violence, she was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison and house arrest. Even a massive international protest did not move Israeli authorities. She was recently freed.
There are 400 Palestinians currently detained or serving prison sentences solely because of content they published on social media. Over 800 have been arrested at one time or another for such charges. There is no legal standard defining what is a genuine threat and what is legitimate political speech. Under Israel’s legal system whatever the Shin Bet says is illegal is. Judges uniformly bow to the evidence presented to them by the security forces and the State prosecutor.
Predictive Artificial Intelligence as False Panacea
The spy agency boasts in the media about how many terror plots have been foiled by these AI tools. But the Israeli public has no way of judging the credibility of these claims because they are never accompanied by concrete evidence. It is told to trust that the Shin Bet is telling the truth, when there is little reason to do so.
How can an algorithm predict someone’s future behavior based on words published in a social media account? The whole process reeks of exaggeration and self-congratulation. What better way to justify a huge increase in next years’ budget than trot out statistics confirming how many attacks your agency averted through its miracle technology?
The Palestinian Authority Adopts Israel’s Repressive Social Media Approach
Israel isn’t the only Middle Eastern nation which polices and censors social media content. The Palestinian Authority, having learned its lessons well from Israel, vigorously roots out dissenting political views by Palestinians. Aided by a Cybercrime Law Mahmoud Abbas invoked by decree, his security services are as intolerant of dissent as their Israeli peers. They arrest violators and imprison them including journalists. When summoned for questioning they’re interrogated not only for their posts, but their private messages as well.
This confirms that there is little separating the methods of Israelis and Palestinian authorities. Both are governed by repressive regimes intolerant of critical ideas and willing to suppress democratic values to control public discourse.
That Facebook’s 100 million private information loss happened already in 2010 and was reported then: The likelyhood, that Russian government could have succesfully have used and dared to use over 6 years old private Facebook data in their alledged 2016 campaign is impossible to swallow. Many users would have changed their information so that such campaign would have been a total failure and crreated a massive amount of wrong and irrelevant messages, which have been certaily noticed by the public and media during the “campaign”.
Richard – you have shared before the emails from twitter which explained the blockage of your account. Would you be willing to publish the email which reinstituted. I think it is important part of the story.
Did they try to give an explanation? make an excuse?
@Jen: no they never do. No message. Just found the account restored the same morning they received Ali’s inquiry.
Richard.
You made a nasty comment about a beloved figure, before he was cold in the grave, and in response, two pro-Israel social media provocateurs sic their followers on you, switching on an Twitter algorithm that locked down your account.
Was there a Israeli led social media crackdown on your free speech? I think not.
Is anyone really surprised that Israeli Ministers and business executives have entree into Silcion Valley’s halls of power? Israel is a high tech giant and many Israelis work in Silicon Valley.
Should Israel be faulted for having successfully lobbied Silicon Valley? Where are the Palestinian lobbyists? Why isn’t BDS targeting Silicon Valley?
@ Li Hang Lo: You are just remouthing arguments of those who organized and perpetrated the assault on me. I consider you an apologist for their despicable behavior. That is a cardinal violation of trust and good faith. Remember that as you continue to participate here, if you do. I consider you on death watch as a commenter here.
Nope. I made an accurate comment. Ari Fuld was no “activist.” Activists work for social justice, civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights. They don’t work on behalf of murder, theft and violence. That is not an activist. That is a militant, violent settler. And that “comment” was truthful.
“Beloved?” Beloved to whom? To settlers? To you, who appear aligned with these violent settlers? To Palestine deniers? To land thieves? Sure. Beloved to you and them. But to who else? Not to most Israelis and certainly not to Diaspora Jews. Neither Israelis nor Diaspora Jews had the faintest idea who he was. So no, not to beloved to them.
Sorry, I have no sympathy for Ari Fuld, settlers or you as their advocate. Living or dead I would say the same about him. How many Palestinians are cold in the grave because of people like Ari Fuld and the Israeli Border Police and IDF killers who murder them. Not a hint of sympathy for them, right? Neither from you or Ari Fuld. You and your arguments disgust me. They’re disingenousness personified.
Actually, I’m not convinced that David Lange and Shawn Eni are merely provocateurs. They are provocateurs with both a cause and a sponsor. Whether Erdan’s ministry works with them directly, indirectly, overtly or covertly–I’m convinced there is coordination and perhaps funding.
Who do you think attacked my account and reported it? Martians? Lilliputians? No, Israelis and their fellow collaborators.
Yes, I have never seen a French deputy foreign ministry or security minister with his picture taken in Silicon Valley with Zuckerberg or Pichai. I have never seen senior Silicon Valley taking pictures in Paris or Bonn or London. And even if there are such images, I’ve never heard of any western government lobbying these companies to censor online speech. So yes, Israeli access is both surprising and worrying.
Certainly, because Israel is lobbying against the values of the society within which these companies operate. It is lobbying for censoring perfectly legitimate political speech, just like what happened to me.
More stupidity and disingenuousness. When Palestine has billionaires like Steinhardt, Adelson, Saban, etc. it will be able to lobby successfully. But it doesn’t. As for the PA lobbying: how can it lobby when it is being economically strangled by Israel? Not to mention financially strangled by Trump. What social media corporate executive would be caught dead taking a picture with Mahmoud Abbas, thanks the opprobrium showed on Palestinians by the Israel Lobby? As for BDS, it is not a government. It has no lobbying arm. It is a decentralized grassroots political movement. Nor is it interested in censoring the social web as Israel is.
Finally, what little leverage any of these have is used as Ali Abunimah did to regain my access to my account. But that leverage is unquantifiable. His inquiry worked. But why or how it worked, we don’t know because Twitter is impenetrable in how it makes such decisions (just like the Lobby btw).
You might want to buy that ticket to Ben Gurion. I predict your days here are numbered.
BTW, how does a settler apologist end up having a Taiwanese IP address? Are you founding a settler colony in Taichung?
“You might want to buy that ticket to Ben Gurion. I predict your days here are
numbered.”
You are as much intolerant of my speech on your blog, as you allege Israel is intolerant of political speech on social media.
@ Li Hing Lo: Let’s clear up some misconceptions you have. First, this blog is not Twitter, Facebook or a social media platform. Second, the rules here are different than they are there because this blog has a different purpose than they do. Third, I don’t have to tolerate commenters who side with settlers who kill and hate Palestinians, and who justify my own illegitimate censoring on Twitter. So read the comment rules (you haven’t done either clearly) and respect them. If you want to justify my mistreatment you can do that elsewhere. Not here. I don’t owe it to you to give you a platform to defend abuse and assault against my right to speak in such platforms.
I am now adding another condition to your participation here. I don’t buy that you are in Taiwan. If you are I want to know why. If you are not, I want to know where you are physically. THere are too many commenters here who try to conceal or otherwise confuse matters like this. If you are one I want to know why.
Richard – while I believe your initial tweet about Fuld not being an activist is fair and is matter of opinion, don’t you think a generalized statements such “settlers do nothing but burn down Palestinian farmland…” or “…settlers like him kill and maim Palestinians regularly…” do not help the conflict?
First, they are inaccurate (to say the least). You have no source that Fuld ever killed anyone not as a soldier nor as a civilian/settler.
Second, the vast, incorrect generalization you made goes against the mission you state on your twitter account – “surrounds hate & forces it to surrender”. How many Palestinians were killed by settlers in the past 40 years? How does one fight hate but spreading such wrong statements?
Fuld was from Efrat, a notorious extremist settlement most famous for dumping their raw sewage onto Palestinian orchards and grazing areas, effectively poisoning the soil, thereby depriving people of their livlihoods. He lived there. He shares culpability. I personally believe that depriving people of their livlihoods is tantamount to murder with an analogy for the North American plains natives whose buffalo were driven to extinction with the express purpose of driving them off the land.
As an aside, Fuld’s father was/is a Smotrich spokesperson, so we know the tree the apple fell off of.
How many Palestinians killed by settlers in 40 years? I believe you should think at least once before the words pass your lips. Does the occupation army count as settlers?
Ari Fuld’s brother is a spokesperson for Smotrich, not his father.
Thanks for the correction (Eytan).
@ pea: Who is his father a spokesperson for? Netanyhau, Bennett or any number of other noxious settler MKs? Sounds quite an illustrious family!
His father is a Jewish educator. He was the principal at SARS Academy in Riverdale prior to moving to Israel. Rabbi Fuld is not a spokesperson for any of the people you mentioned AFAIK. He, like you, also studied with Nechama Leibowitz. He studied with her for six years. Just a little bit of fun trivia for you.
You’re welcome Eytan.
@ pea: It is shocking and disturbing that a rabbi principal at SARS would raise boys who were so hateful about non Jewish human beings as well as Jewish gays. Not to mention denying the existence of another people including organizing armed militia to enforce Judean dominance. I would not consider such a person a “Jewish educator.” Perhaps a Judean educator.
Though I took a single Bible course with Nechama Leibowitz, I would have taken courses with Yeshaya in 1972 had I known more about him at the time, and learned a great deal more. Nechama was of course a fascinating person and her class was interesting. But I would have been proud to consider Yeshaya my teacher.
Whatever the case may be, are we now in agreement that he wasn’t a spokesperson for any of the people you mentioned in your earlier comment? As another total aside, do you know how to say “Jew” in Hebrew? Yehudi. Do you know how to say “Judaean” in Hebrew? Also Yehudi. I’m not making any statement with that fact. Just putting it out there.
@ pea: Maybe I’ll start calling settlers yehudon??! IN case you hadn’t noticed, I write this blog in English and in that language “Jew” and “Judean” are quite different.
to use the expression yehudon is definitely in the pejorative and a slur in Israel.
It would be similar for a non-jew to call a Jew ‘Jew boy’ in the US or UK.
@natasha: I used that specific term because I know what it means. But I guess I should be happy there are so many readers interested in offering information here. Actually, some Israelis say it’s closer to calling someone “kike.” But “Jew boy” will do.
I don’t see why an Israeli can call the U.S. ambassador a “Jew boy,” but a settler can’t be called one.
I was just pointing out the curious linguistic anomaly – that in Hebrew “Jew” and “Judaean” mean exactly the same thing. That having been said, you probably should not use the term “Yehudon,” like, ever.
@ pea: I know what that word means. But I was thinking of a suitable pejorative term for settler since they have so many disgusting terms for Jews like me. That being one of them. And it also contains the word “Judeo” or “Judea” within it. Maybe I’ll just stick with “Judeo-Nazi!” Good enough for Yeshaya Leibowitz, good enough for me!
Go for it. Do whatever you like. I personally don’t think it’ll add any credence to your arguments to paint an entire population with one broad brush. A significant percentage of the Israelis who live within the green line do so because it’s cheaper. They are not particularly married to settler ideology and would leave their homes without hesitation if the government told them to. Of course there are some that are so off the deep end that they call the Yesha Council the “Pesha” Council because they are insufficiently hard core. But I wouldn’t even call those guys “Nazis” because well, history. With respectful apologies to Yeshayahu Leibovitz.
“With respectful apologies to Yeshayahu Leibovitz.”
I would not apologize to Yeshayahu Leibovitz for any thing.
He would stay Jer for 14 Adar so as not to hear the Megilah and go to TA on the 15 Adar so he would not be obligated to hear the Megilah at all because of the large numbers of gentiles killed by the Jews as recorded in the Megilah.
So I ask, what did he do with great portions of Bereshit, Joshua etc, the command was to sometimes kill all men women and children? Basically with all his PHDs etc in the end he was a fool and a hypocrite.
@ natasha: Thinking you know more than Yeshaya Leibowitz or myself about the Megillah or any other Jewish tradition is a major mistake on your part. First, the Megillah is not a historical book. We don’t know if or what actually happened in the course of the events supposedly described. But even if the events did historically happen as described, the idea that the best way to combat an attempt to wipe out Jews is by wiping out those who tried to kill you is immoral. One failed attempt at genocide does not justify another. Further, the ancient Israelites engaged in such genocide or ethnic cleansing repeatedly according to the Bible (as you yourself proudly note). So this was a concept familiar to them unfortunately and apparently condoned by the God of the Israelites (at least as these humans saw it).
Times, beliefs and religions change over time. THere are Judeans who still believe in ethnic cleansing. The vast majority of the world’s Jews reject this approach. You are in a tiny majority of such Judeans. LUckily, Leibowitz was on the right side on this matter.
Well it seems obvious that Yeshayahu Leibovitz thought it to be historically true.
@ natasha: Nothing of the sort. Stop telling us what Leibowitz did or didn’t believe. Offer proof when you make such lame claims.
The proof is that he avoided hearing the Megilah verifying his behavior other wise if he did not believe in the historicity it would be irrelevant and he obviously felt an obligation to hear it thus he avoided it in an halachic manne.r
I never said I know more than Yeshayahu Leibovitz since I am not a scientist.
That also goes for your saying that I assume I know more than you in Jewish tradition which I do not see it at all germane to this specific blog.
Since I have spent the last 45 years in some academia, yeshivas and kollels I doubt you have either the width or breadth of learning considering you spent a few year in universities and are obviously part of the ‘critical’, secular branch of Judaism which is mostly superficial and without real dedication via belief.
@ natasha: I studied Hebrew and Jewish studies including Talmud for many years, and at a college and graduate level. So the notion that I am from a “secular branch of Judaism” is not only wrong, it’s insulting. And yes, I have the “width and breadth of learning” you have, and in spades. If you’d bothered to read my About page, you’d know that. Next time, before you try to disparage me or my background do a little research on your target.
@ pea:
I think you meant beyond the Green Line. Not within it. Further, I’m not interested in why people live in the Occupied Territories. Their motives are irrelevant. Their political beliefs are irrelevant. Whether they would leave or not is irrelevant (of course the government will never tell them to, so this argument is irrelevant as well). The fact is that they are stealing Palestinian land and their presence is illegal.
And the argument that settlers must be divided into the good settlers and the crazy settlers is also irrelevant. THere are no good bank robbers and bad ones; no good murderers and bad ones; no good thieves and bad ones. Being a settler of any sort, regardless of your motivation is immoral. Not only that, but settlers as a class endanger the state and render it unstable and liable to face endless violence.
As for calling settlers Nazis…sorry, but when the shoe fits, wear it. There are many settlers who are out and out Jewish Nazis or Judeo-Nazis, or whatever you want to call them. And frankly, Leibowitz’s view on this will last and be influential far longer than yours.
Hey, you want to go binary, that’s entirely your prerogative. You want to see the world as either black or white? Cool! Do you apply that logic universally? Would it be safe to say, for instance, that you yourself are a beneficiary of the disenfranchisement and genocide of the Suquamish, Duwamish, Nisqually, Snoqualmie, and Muckleshoot tribes that lived in your neck of the woods prior to the arrival of the White man? Or that all white and white passing people in the US are net beneficiaries of the institutional racism that disadvantages all people of color? Me? I prefer a bit of nuance in my world view. But you be you Richard!
@ pea: OMG, it’s the “you’re living on Native American land” hasbara ploy. That trick has been used here before. In fact, you may’ve been the one who used it under a fake name. Even if you didn’t, did you think someone hadn’t tried that crap here before? And that I hadn’t eviscerated that empty argument? And why do I have to do it again??? I hate repeating myself. But you hasbaroids invariably make me do it.
How am I a beneficiary of Native American genocide? Because I moved to Seattle in 1998 I’m responsible for or guilty of crimes committed 150 years ago, when my ancestors were living in Polish shtetls? Are you daft?
But one thing I can say, is that despite the horrific genocide perpetrated against them, the U.S. has recognized these tribes as sovereign nations, and offering them treaties and financial restitution in some cases. After Israel’s injustices during Nakba and its continuing suppression of its Israeli Palestinian minority, and its colonization of Palestine, what has Israel offered any of them? Sovereignty? Restitution? Treaties?
Since you’re so sensitive to the oppression of people of color, I’m sure you’ll have many examples to offer us where you’ve put your body or principles on the line on their behalf. Care to cite some? Or do you just exploit the nearest woke meme you can lay your hands on in a vain attempt to puncture the arguments offered against Israeli racism and injustice? As for benefiting from racism, I’ll take my record of combatting racism in this country, Israel and elsewhere against yours any day of the week. What a hypocrite!
[Comment deleted: we don’t go on endlessly belaboring points here. Move on.]
Pea, you’re wrong. In the past (3,000-2,000) years ago, “Yehudi” in Hbrew meant what we call “Jew” nowadays. But in modern Hebrew, we have two different words: “Yehudi” means a Jew, someone who belongs to the Jewish People, wheres for a “Judean” – either a descendant of the Judah/Yehudah tribe, or someone who lives in the region of Judea/(Yehuda in Hebrew), south of Samaria (Shomron), we use the term “yehuda’i”. Not all Hebrew speakers are aware of this distinction.
@ram: thanks for adding this to the discussion. I too had no idea of this Hebrew term.
@ Jen: First, you should know that I wrote literally a few hundred tweets during the period following my initial tweet about Ari Fuld. I was very upset and wrote at a furious pace. You will find numerous typos and even a few statements which should have been formulated more carefully. I did write a tweet in which I said something like all settlers engage in killing. I don’t recall the exact words. Clearly not “all settlers” engage in killing. But the truth is that ALL settlers are implicated in these killings. They all live on stolen land. THey are accessories to such theft and murder. So I see them all as guilty and culpable to varying degrees. I have no patience or nuance when it comes to settlers. They are an evil category of Israeli. One which shouldn’t exist. As long as they do exist, either as violent ones or non-violent ones, they are poisoning and threatening Israel’s existence. They must all be uprooted (unless Palestinians agree to permit some of them to remain in a future peace settlement; or unless they agree to live in Palestine and accept Palestinian sovereignty).
I do not consider settlers as individuals who deserve sympathy or consideration. They are immoral and illegal.
As for how many Palestinians have been killed by settlers. That is not the issue. The Israeli state kills on behalf of settlers. The settler enterprise is a state enterprise. So all Palestinians killed by all Israelis must be counted in that toll. And the toll is massive. But even if you count the number of Palestinians killed or maimed ony by settlers it is a very large number.
“Palestinian sovereignty” quite an oxymoron. Name an a Arab/Moslem country that has a normal government.
@natasha: cardinal comment rule violation. Arabophobia is prohibited. Read the comment rules carefully and respect them. Your next violation could leaf to moderation or banning.
I wouldn’t exactly call Israel a “normal” government either.
Hey Richard , did you see this: https://www.the7eye.org.il/306639 (Heb)
Activists ask the Attorney General to stop blocking the contents of the social networks by the cyber department in the Ministry of Justice.