Science & Technology

March 29, 2011

Facebook removes Third Intifada page

JTA

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Facebook has removed a page calling for a third Palestinian uprising against Israel, but a new one quickly took its place.

Nearly 350,000 people had registered for the “Third Palestinian Intifada” page, established on Facebook earlier this month. The page, which calls for a third Palestinian uprising to begin May 15, included quotes and film clips calling for killing Jews and Israelis, and for “liberating” Jerusalem and Palestine using violence. It also directs users to related content on Twitter, YouTube and elsewhere on the internet.

Links to the page now redirect the user to the Facebook homepage. The page reportedly was taken down by Facebook on Tuesday morning.

A new page with the same name attracted 4,000 friends by midday Tuesday.

The Anti-Defamation League welcomed Facebook’s decision to remove the old page.

“We applaud Facebook’s willingness to continue to engage and consider this important question and we deeply appreciate their responsiveness,” ADL National Director Abraham Foxman said in a statement issued Tuesday. “We hope that they will continue to vigilantly monitor their pages for other groups that call for violence or terrorism against Jews and Israel.”

Facebook did not release a statement on the removal. But in a statement released to several media outlets earlier in the week, Facebook commented on the Third Palestinian Intifada page controversy.

“While some kinds of comments and content may be upsetting for someone—criticism of a certain culture, country, religion, lifestyle, or political ideology, for example—that alone is not a reason to remove the discussion,” the statement said. “We strongly believe that Facebook users have the ability to express their opinions, and we don’t typically take down content, groups or pages that speak out against countries, religions, political entities, or ideas.”

Individual posts and comments on the page considered problematic were to be investigated by Facebook and removed, according to reports.

Before its removal, Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s minister of diplomacy and Diaspora affairs, sent a letter March 23 to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg asking that it be removed.

“As Facebook’s CEO and founder, you are obviously aware of the site’s great potential to rally the masses around good causes, and we are all thankful for that,” Edelstein wrote. “However, such potential comes hand in hand with the ability to cause great harm, such as in the case of the wild incitement displayed on the above-mentioned page.”

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Past is prologue…  from the diary dated March 28, 2002:

Without dwelling long on this or that “ism”
When viewed through a historical prism,
It seems fair to relate
That the Israeli State
Is an Oasis of Freedom in a Desert of Despotism.

It is, indeed, difficult anything positive to relate
About any Arab-League member-state—
With citizens short-sighted
And “leaders” largely benighted;
From such a combination, TROUBLE is all we can anticipate.

End diary entry

Appeals for still another Intifada clearly indicate
that motivation for mayhem does not abate
among those with minds medieval
who contemplate little but evil,
and seek to eliminate the thriving, Israeli state.

Comment by Special K on 3/29/11 at 2:10 pm

untill we do as HaShem says here in TheTorah, then the our beautifull story is going to keep looking uglier without HIM. and there shall be no peace on earth, untill we say what is truly required of us here and now in TheTorah. and actually be here in TheStory from HIM.

Comment by jimmie c boswell on 3/29/11 at 5:10 pm

I’m upset.  After all, Jewish genius that come up with Faithbook needed thousands of signatures and letter from Israeli Executive to remove anti-Semitic garbage from his site.
Shame on you and your parents, Mark.

Comment by ArkadyDash on 3/29/11 at 5:23 pm

DID YOU FORGET YOUR HERITAGE MARK?  THE FACT THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS GARBAGE IS A SHANDA….

Comment by DEBRA BORODINSKY on 3/29/11 at 9:28 pm

Israel is a pluralistic democracy. Visiting Israel, I saw Arabs BBQing in the parks, more signs denoting churches on the streets than synagogues. Publicizing a rally to destroy a state who supports diversity,  written by a group who does not live within the state is different than allowing people unhappy with their own repressive regime to voice their frustrations. One is a call to war, the other is a call for change within. Would Facebook allow a call to war against the USA, against Canada, against Mexico on its pages?

Comment by carrie slayback on 3/30/11 at 10:38 am

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