Social Media Giant Removes Video on Jewish Ties to Jerusalem

“It is sad that simple historical truths are being labeled as ‘hate speech.”

By Pesach Benson, United with Israel

Facebook removed a video posted by the Im Tirtzu Zionist movement that traces the history of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from biblical times to the present, noting that the concept of a Palestinian nation only came about in recent years.

The video was later uploaded to YouTube, titled, “The Im Tirtzu Video That Facebook Removed: There is No Palestinian People.”

The two-minute film is currently available only in Hebrew.

“It is sad that simple historical truths are being labeled as ‘hate speech’ by Facebook,” Eytan Meir, Im Tirtzu’s international relations coordinator, told United with Israel. “We are living in a time where facts and truth are being sacrificed in the name of political correctness and wokeness. This is especially true regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict, and that is why videos like this are so critical.

“We will continue creating content that tells the truth about the conflict, regardless of what Facebook thinks,” he said.

Meir added that an English version of the video is in the works, which he hopes will be published “in the upcoming weeks.”

Im Tirzu chairman Matan Peleg said: “We invite the public to watch a video describing the rich and extensive history of the Palestinian people and to judge for themselves whether the decision to remove the video was justified.”

The year 2021 was a difficult one for Facebook. European Union lawmakers blasted the social media giant for its lack of responsiveness to flagged antisemitic content. Critics called on Facebook to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Facebook also drew a thumbs down over its inability or unwillingness to move against Holocaust denial.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen raised a raft of concerns about Facebook, particularly how its algorithms deliberately boosted posts likely to draw angry, emotional responses, which ultimately boosted public engagement and Facebook’s bottom line.

In recent weeks, the Israeli government has been examining ways to hold Facebook and other social media platforms legally accountable for hatred and incitement on their sites. On Tuesday, a Knesset committee advanced legislation introduced by Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar that would allow Israeli courts to demand social media companies remove content that could cause harm to a person, the public, or the security of the state. The bill is based on similar legislation in Australia and Germany.