Home Documentation of Facebook bias against Israel and Israel supporters

Documentation of Facebook bias against Israel and Israel supporters

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The following is meant to orient the newcomer with some highlights in Facebook’s endemic anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian terror bias.

Contents

(1) April 2013: Facebook removed a Palestinian Media Watch post that exposes Palestinian hate speech, for violating its “hate speech” rules — but allowed Palestinians to continue posting it, at will

(2) April 2013: Fatah continues to praise suicide bombers on Facebook; Murderers of 7 are Martyrs and heroes

(3) October 2015: Nonprofit Israeli law firm Shurat Hadin filed a class-action lawsuit against Facebook, for allowing anti-Semitic terror incitement, on behalf of 20,000 victims of Palestinian terrorism

(4) December 2015: VIDEO: Shurat Hadin demonstrated Facebook’s anti-Semitic double-standards, with video of side-by-side page tests

(5) April 20, 2016: Facebook allowed a Fatah-affiliated artist to post a cartoon celebrating Palestinian terrorists’ bombing of a bus

(6) August 2016: Official Fatah Facebook page brags it killed 11,000 Israelis in terrorist attacks

(7) August 2016: Facebook omitted Israeli flag from Rio Olympics page

(8) September 14, 2016: SaveTheWest published its first report on Facebook’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian terror bias

(9) September 26, 2016: SaveTheWest published its second report on Facebook’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian terror bias

(10) February 28, 2017: Facebook shut down Fatah’s page for inciting and glorifying terrorism against Jews

(11) March 2, 2017: Facebook reopened Fatah’s page — and according to the terror-inciting group, apologized to it for having shut its page down, two days earlier

(12) January 22, 2018: Facebook allowed Fatah to publish post glorifying Palestinian perpetrators of Munich massacre of Jewish athletes

(13) January 27, 2018: Facebook banned Steve Maman, “The Jewish Schindler,” for 30 days, because he posted a picture of the Holocaust — on Holocaust Remembrance Day

(14) January 29-31, 2018: Facebook repeatedly allowed Fatah to justify, glorify and celebrate Palestinian terrorists and the death toll they inflicted on Israeli Jews

(15) February 4, 2018: Facebook omitted Israel from list of countries from which users can select as their location — but included “Palestine,” which is not even a nation

(16) February 6, 2018: Facebook relented, inserted Israel in countries list


(1) April 2013: Facebook removed a Palestinian Media Watch post that exposes Palestinian hate speech, for violating its “hate speech” rules — but allowed Palestinians to continue posting it, at will

From Palestinian Media Watch on April 11, 2013:

Facebook allows Palestinian promotion of hate speech, but prevents PMW from exposing it, by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, April 11, 2013. Excerpt:

Following Palestinian Media Watch’s bulletin exposing the PA TV broadcast of a girl reciting a poem referring to Jews as “enemies of Allah, descendants of pigs,” Facebook, like YouTube, decided to remove PMW’s post.

Facebook: “We removed the following content you posted or were the admin of because it violates Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.”

Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities stipulates that “you will not post content that is hate speech” or “incites violence.”

While Facebook is preventing PMW’s exposure of the PA’s hate speech, Facebook’s policy has not been applied to the explicit terror promotion and terror glorification by Fatah on Facebook, which PMW has documented, all of which were posted by Fatah’s Facebook page administrator.

Fatah in Lebanon encouraged violence and terrorism by posting a picture of a mother dressing her young son with a suicide belt. The picture was accompanied by an imaginary conversation between the son who is being sent to his death and the mother encouraging it. “Why me and not you?” the child innocently asks his mother, who answers that she will continue to have more children “for the sake of Palestine.” This terror promotion and glorification still appears on Fatah Lebanon’s Facebook page.

Fatah glorified two suicide terrorists who killed 6 Israelis, referring to them as “the Bride of Palestine” and “our hero” respectively. The posts honoring these two suicide bombers still appear on Fatah’s Facebook page.


(2) April 2013: Fatah continues to praise suicide bombers on Facebook; Murderers of 7 are Martyrs and heroes

By Palestinian Media Watch:

Fatah continues to praise suicide bombers on Facebook; Murderers of 7 are Martyrs and heroes, by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, April 23, 2013. Excerpt:

On the anniversary of their terror attacks, Fatah honored suicide bombers Andalib Takatka and Fadi Al-Amoudi as Martyrs and heroes.

Andalib Takatka killed 6 and wounded more than 80 when she blew herself up at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem in 2002.

Fadi Al-Amoudi killed 1 and wounded 3 when he detonated a bomb he was carrying at the Erez crossing at the Israeli-Egyptian border in 2004.

Fatah’s Facebook administrator called terrorist Al-Amoudi “a hero” and referred to both these murderous attacks as “Martyrdom-seeking operations” in which “Zionists” were killed.

Recently, Facebook removed Palestinian Media Watch’s post that exposed hate speechon PA TV because Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities stipulates that “you will not post content that is hate speech” or “incites violence.” However, Facebook is not applying this principle to Fatah’s Facebook postings that glorify terrorist murderers.


(3) October 2015: Nonprofit Israeli law firm Shurat Hadin filed a class-action lawsuit against Facebook, for allowing anti-Semitic terror incitement, on behalf of 20,000 victims of Palestinian terrorism

The following was published by the Times of Israel and JTA, October 27, 2015.

20,000 Israelis sue Facebook for ignoring Palestinian incitement; Class-action suit filed in Brooklyn requires social network to immediately remove all posts ‘containing incitement to murder Jews’, by the Times of Israel and JTA, October 27, 2015. Excerpt:

A class-action lawsuit against Facebook is accusing the social media platform of ignoring widespread Palestinian posts calling for violence against Jews.

In the suit filed Monday in New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, the 20,000 Israeli plaintiffs claim the Facebook posts have inspired many recent terror attacks and that “Facebook’s algorithms and platform connects inciters to terrorists who are further encouraged to perpetrate stabbings and other violence attacks against Israelis.”

According to a news release issued by the plaintiffs, many recent assailants “were motivated to commit their heinous crimes by incitement to murder they read on Facebook — demagogues and leaders exhorting their followers to “slaughter the Jews,” and offering instruction as to the best manner to do so, including even anatomical charts showing the best places to stab a human being.”

The suit alleges that Facebook has a “legal and moral obligation” to block much of this content but that it chooses not to.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction against Facebook requiring the social network to “immediately remove all pages, groups and posts containing incitement to murder Jews; to actively monitor its website for such incitement that all incitement is immediately removed prior to being disseminated to masses of terrorists and would-be terrorists; and to cease serving as matchmaker between terrorists, terrorist organizations, and those who incite others to commit terrorism.”

The complaint does not seek monetary damages against Facebook.

The lead plaintiff, Richard Lakin, 76, died of his wounds Tuesday after he was shot and stabbed by Palestinian terrorists while riding on a crowded Jerusalem bus on October 13. Two other Israelis were killed and more than 20 were wounded in the attack.


(4) December 2015: VIDEO: Shurat Hadin demonstrated Facebook’s anti-Semitic double-standards, with video of side-by-side page tests

On January 6, 2016, the Times of Israel published the following story:

Israeli NGO says Facebook test proves anti-Israel bias; An experiment by the Israel Law Center sees the social network banning anti-Palestinian incitement, while anti-Israel hate remains online, by David Shamah, Times of Israel, January 5, 2016. Excerpt:

An experiment designed and carried out by the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) purports to show that in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s Facebook arena, the odds are stacked against Israel.

In a simple test, the organization tracked down two existing Facebook pages – one pro-Israeli, and one pro-Palestinian – and uploaded content to each that was rife with incitement to violence and hate.

“Guess which page Facebook removed for violating rules against incitement,” said attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the organization.

“With over 30 Israelis killed in terror attacks since October – with many of the murderers receiving encouragement and motivation from social media – it is shocking that Facebook would continue to ignore instances of incitement against Israelis, while quickly fulfilling its obligation to remove other instances of incitement when it sees fit to do so, as we showed in this experiment,” she said.


(5) April 2016: Facebook allowed a Fatah-affiliated artist to post a cartoon celebrating Palestinian terrorists’ bombing of a bus

On April 18, 2016, Palestinian terrorists bombed a Jerusalem bus, injuring 21 Jews — including a 15 year old girl, who suffered burns all over her body:

Jerusalem bus blown up in terror attack, injuring at least 21; Police confirm bomb was on bus that went up in flames in Talpiot neighborhood, but unclear who was behind explosion; Hamas praises blast but does not take responsibility, Times Of Israel, April 18, 2016.

Two days later, on April 20, 2016, this cartoon appeared on Facebook, posted by a Fatah-affiliated artist, depicting a Palestinian woman handing out candies in jubilant celebration beside a blown up Jewish bus:

Caption, by United With Israel: “Palestinian cartoonist Omayya Juha celebrated the April 18 terrorist bombing of a Jerusalem bus by quickly drawing a cartoon featuring a Palestinian woman celebrating the terror attack by ululating and handing out candies in front of the burned-out bus.”

(6) August 2016: Facebook omitted Israeli flag from Rio Olympics page

Facebook Omits Israeli Flag From 2016 Rio Olympics Page; Special section allows users to add frame with participating countries’ flags to pictures or videos. Israel added to feature after Israeli olympic committee’s request, by Oded Yaron, Haaretz, August 5, 2016. Excerpt:

Facebook omitted the Israeli flag from its list of countries participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics on a special page in honor of the opening of the games in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

The Olympic Committee of Israel sent a letter to Facebook on Thursday asking it to correct the error. The company said it was dealing with the issue, and it had been fixed by Thursday afternoon.

The special section includes an icon of the Olympic torch that, when clicked, gives the user access to a set of tools Facebook developed in the games honor. One of those tools allows the user to add a frame with participating countries flags to pictures or videos that he posts to Facebook. The tool uses the MSQRD app, which Facebook purchased.


(7) August 2016: Official Fatah Facebook page brags it killed 11,000 Israelis in terrorist attacks

From Palestinian Media Watch:

Fatah brags it killed 11,000 Israelis; Official Fatah Facebook page boasts about leading Palestinians in terror, by Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch, August 3, 2016.  Excerpt:

Fatah yesterday posted a list of Fatah’s achievements on behalf of Palestinians. Significantly, Fatah did not cite even one peace-seeking or peace-promoting achievement, but only listed Fatah acts of violence and terror. Fatah even boasted that its attacks have killed 11,000 Israelis. While Fatah and the PLO have been killing Israelis since 1965, this number is a gross exaggeration.

One of the acts it bragged about was being the “first Palestinian faction to reach the [Israeli] nuclear reactor.” This is a reference to Fatah’s bus hijacking and murder of three Israeli civilians on their way to work at the Dimona nuclear plant in 1988. […]

PMW reported that Fatah had posted a similar text on its official Facebook page in 2014.

Mothers’ Bus attack – On March 7, 1988, 3 Fatah terrorists hijacked a bus carrying workers to the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, and murdered 3 civilians – Miriam Ben-Yair, Rina Shiratky and Victor Ram. The attack is referred to as the Mothers’ Bus attack because many of the passengers were working mothers. The terrorists were all killed by an Israel Police counter-terrorism unit that stormed the bus.

Baha Sa’id – was a terrorist active in the Popular Resistance Committees. On Nov. 18, 2000, he infiltrated the community of Kfar Darom in the Gaza Strip, and killed two Israeli soldiers, Snir Flum and Sharon Shitoubi. Shitoubi shot the terrorist, who later died of his wounds.

The Karameh battle, or Al-Karameh – In 1968, Israeli army forces attacked the Al-Karameh village in Jordan, where Fatah terrorists were launching attacks on Israel. Although Israel prevailed militarily, Arafat used the event for propaganda purposes, declaring the battle a great victory that erased the disgrace of the 1967 Six Day War defeat.


September 14, 2016: SaveTheWest published its first report on Facebook’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian terror bias

On September 14, 2016, SaveTheWest published this first major report on Facebook bias, researched and developed by Jon Sutz:

Why does Facebook enable Palestinians to incite & glorify anti-Semitic terrorism, but bans users who don’t?, by Jon Sutz, SaveTheWest.com, September 14, 2016.  Excerpt:

This special SaveTheWest report documents the following facts:

(1) Facebook publicly claims that it does not allow anyone to maintain an account if they post material that (a) supports or praises terrorist activity or the leaders of terrorist groups, or (b) incites violence, or (c) contains graphic or gratuitous violence.

(2) Facebook knowingly, willfully enables Palestinian users to egregiously violate its ethical policies — specifically, in the context of inciting, glorifying and justifying terrorism against Jews.

(3) Although Facebook occasionally takes down specific posts by Palestinian terrorism supporters, presumably due to complaints from other users, it has left their accounts active, in some cases for years, thus enabling them to continue posting such materials. One of these users is reportedly notorious for posting anti-Semitic “snuff” (murder) films — yet Facebook has allowed it to be active for more than five years.

(4) In contrast, Facebook recently banned several notable pro-freedom, anti-terrorism users, for posting written opinions on terrorism — but which did not violate its policies. Facebook later restored these users’ accounts, but only after their stories appeared in national news media.


(9) September 26, 2016: SaveTheWest published its second report on Facebook’s anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian terror bias

On September 26, 2016, SaveTheWest published this follow-up report on Facebook bias, researched and developed by Jon Sutz:

Did Facebook’s continued enabling of anti-Semitic terror-incitement groups result in recent attacks?, by Jon Sutz, SaveTheWest.com, September 26, 2016. Excerpt:

In our original report, published on September 14, 2016, we documented the fact that, in violation of its stated policies, Facebook has been consciously enabling two highly-influential Palestinian organizations, the Al Quds News Network (AQNN) and Fatah, to post materials that incite, glorify and justify terrorism against Jews. As if to emphasize its double-standards, Facebook recently banned several notable pro-freedom, anti-terrorism users, for posting written opinions — but which did not violate its policies.

Since then, we continued to monitor Facebook, to determine:

♦ If it banned the AQNN and/or Fatah

♦ If it removed any of the posts that these users had published, highlighted in our report, that clearly violate its policies

♦ If it allowed either or both of these users to publish new materials, since then, that violate its policies

Our documentation shows that as of September 25:

(1) Facebook has allowed both the AQNN and Fatah to remain active.

(2) Facebook has not removed any of these users’ posts that clearly violate its policies. (See the notations at the beginnings of each post, in our original report, which contain screencaps proving that each was still published as of September 25; example)

Further, as this report update shows, by continuing to enable the AQNN to post terrorism-supporting material at will, Facebook may have played a role in inciting five new terrorist attacks against Jews in Israel.


(10) February 28, 2017: Facebook shut down Fatah’s page for inciting and glorifying terrorism against Jews

Facebook shuts down Fatah’s terror promoting page, by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, February 28, 2017.  Excerpt:

For the second time, Facebook has shut down the official page of Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Movement. Fatah has pleaded innocence, claiming that Facebook unjustifiably shut down its page due to a “historical picture” of Yasser Arafat holding a weapon and Mahmoud Al-Aloul, now Deputy Chairman of Fatah and member of the Fatah Central Committee.

However, the obvious reason is that Fatah’s endless stream of posts glorifying violence, terror, and murder of Israelis caused the shutdown. In 2016 alone, Palestinian Media Watch documented over 130 posts glorifying individual terrorist murderers and terror attacks, and posts encouraging violence and terror.

Recent posts from 2017 endorsing terror and violence have included posts honoring arch-terrorist Abu Jihad, who the Palestinian Authority has credited with organizing attacks in which 125 people were murdered. One post praised Abu Jihad as “the Prince” and a “roaring lion,” another promoted dying for “Palestine”:


(11) March 2, 2017: Facebook reopened Fatah’s page — and according to the terror-inciting group, apologized to it for having shut its page down, two days earlier

Facebook enables Fatah terror promotion by reopening their terror promoting page, by Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch, March 2, 2017. Excerpt:

Three days ago, Facebook shut down Fatah’s terror promoting account. The Palestinian Authority protested the closure as evidence of unfair collaboration between Israel and Facebook against the Palestinians (see below). Yesterday, Facebook reinstated the account, without removing any of the terror promoting material that is regularly posted on the page by Fatah. In 2016 alone, Palestinian Media Watch documented over 130 posts glorifying individual terrorist murderers and terror attacks, and posts encouraging violence and terror.

The following are examples of the terror and murder promotion that Facebook has reopened for public viewing:

♦ A video produced by Fatah’s student movement at Birzeit University urges Palestinians to murder Israelis and seek Martyrdom by carrying out stabbing and car ramming attacks. The video shows a staged car-ramming and stabbing attack at a checkpoint near Ramallah. [Official Fatah Facebook page, April 20, 2016]

♦ Fatah expressed pride in the first Palestinian female suicide bomber Wafa Idris, who murdered 1 and wounded over 100 in 2002: “Her pure body exploded into pieces in the Zionists` faces” [Official Fatah Facebook page, Jan. 27, 2017]

♦ Fatah posted an image encouraging stabbing Jews on its Facebook page, at the beginning of the 2015-2016 terror wave. The image depicts a religious Jew screaming in pain with a knife stuck in his shoulder, accompanied by the text: “Here is Jerusalem, you crazies, beware!” [Official Fatah Facebook page, Oct. 4, 2015]

(12) January 22, 2018: Facebook allowed Fatah to publish post glorifying Palestinian perpetrators of Munich massacre of Jewish athletes

From Palestinian Media Watch:

Planner of Munich Olympics murders honored by Fatah and Abbas` deputy, by Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, January 29, 2018.  Excerpt:

In a post on Facebook, the Fatah Movement and its Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul praised one of the planners of the Munich massacre in which Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israelis at the Olympics in 1972.

The Fatah Movement and Abbas’ deputy Al-Aloul called terrorist Ali Hassan Salameh a “heroic commander” and specifically mentioned the Munich attack as one his achievements:

Posted text:

Today is the anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahid) of heroic commander Martyr Ali Hassan Salameh (i.e., a commander of the Black September terror organization), who was called ‘the Red Prince.’

He commanded special operations against the Zionist intelligence throughout the world, and the sending of explosive packages from Amsterdam to many agents of the Mossad (i.e., Israeli Secret Intelligence Service) in European capitals. His name was linked to the famous operation in Munich (i.e., terror attack, 11 murdered). [Former Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir was attributed with the statement: ‘Find this animal and kill him (sic., PMW could find no record of such a quote).'”

[Official Fatah Facebook page, Jan. 22, 2018; Facebook page of Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Jan. 22, 2018]
Palestinian Media Watch has documented numerous statements by PA and Fatah leaders honoring the terrorists from the Black September terror organization and praising the Munich murders as “an excellent operation.”

Another “Martyr” murderer promoted by Fatah this week was the female suicide bomber Wafa Idris who murdered one and wounded over 100 when she blew herself up on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem in 2002. In the honorary post on Facebook showing a photo of murderer Idris, Fatah focused on the details of the bombing:

Posted text:

“On this date, Dec. 28, 2002 (sic., Jan. 27, 2002) a massive explosion took place on an Israeli bus (sic., Idris detonated her bomb in the street) in the center of Jerusalem, in which 90 Israelis were killed and wounded (sic., 1 murdered, over 100 wounded). The one who carried it out was Martyr (Shahida) Wafa Idris, 27, a refugee from the city of Ramle and a resident of the Al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah.

[Facebook page of the Fatah Commission of Information, Culture, and Ideology, Jan. 28, 2018]


(13) January 27, 2018: Facebook banned Steve Maman, “The Jewish Schindler,” for 30 days, because he posted a picture of the Holocaust — on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Steve Maman, aka “The Jewish Schindler”

Background of Steve Maman

Maman is a Canadian businessman who invested a huge amount of time, money and creativity to help rescue girls from ISIS slavery, by creating and funding broker networks to negotiate the sale and transport of girls to safety, and get them into counseling.  Below is an interview with one of the girls whom Maman helped to escape this hell, 17-year-old Nehad Barkat, who was held as a rape slave for a year by top ISIS commanders:

To help advance his work, Steve created a nonprofit, CYCI International.

Due to Maman’s relentless efforts on this noble mission, he has earned an international reputation as “The Jewish Schindler,” a la Oskar Schindler, the Christian German businessman who risked his life to save several thousand Jews during the Holocaust.

Here are some articles about, and interviews with Maman, and his responses to those who criticize his model of paying brokers to buy back slaves from ISIS:

After Witnessing ISIS’s Genocide And Slavery, ‘Jewish Schindler’ Sprang Into Action, by Bradley Martin, The Federalist, June 28, 2017.

Inspired by Oscar Schindler, Jewish Businessman Leads Effort to Rescue Christian, Yazidi Girls From ISIS (The Algemeiner, US, August 10, 2015)

”I don’t do this because of religion” – Exclusive: Steve Maman liberated 140 women from ISIS + VIDEO (Admiral News, US, June 26, 2016)

Undeterred by critics, ‘Jewish Schindler’ vows to keep rescuing Yazidis (Times of Israel, September 7, 2015)

Listen to a 14:00 radio interview of Maman by Mark Levin, August 11, 2015 here.

Also, here is a video interview with Steve, about his work with CYCI:


January 27,  2018: Facebook banned Maman for 30 days, for posting this picture and commentary — on Holocaust Remembrance Day

On January 27, 2018, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Maman posted the following picture, and message, in regards to Poland’s consideration of a law to criminally prosecute anyone who says that it had anything to do with the Holocaust:


(14) January 29-31, 2018: Facebook repeatedly allowed Fatah to justify, glorify and celebrate Palestinian terrorists and the death toll they inflicted on Israeli Jews

See the documentation by Palestinian Media Watch here:

Excerpts:

“Today is the anniversary of the death of heroic Martyr (Shahid) Ali Munir Yusuf Ja’ara (i.e., suicide bomber, murdered 11) […]

“This giant, who rose up, shattered the enemy’s myth, crossed its separation fence, its fortifications, and its feeble Israeli Security Agency forces, got on bus number 19, and blew his body up in exactly the same neighborhood where arch-murderer [then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon lived. Martyrdom-seeker Ali Munir Ja’ara from the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem blew himself up inside a Zionist bus next to the home of the terrorist Sharon in occupied Jerusalem, which led to the death of 11 Zionists and the wounding of approximately 53 others.

Today we in the Bethlehem branch of the Fatah Movement send a blessing of honor and admiration to the soul of heroic Martyr Ali Munir Ja’ara on the anniversary of his death as a Martyr, and we vow to Almighty Allah that we will continue to be loyal to the blood of all of the heroic Martyrs.

“The revolution is until victory or Martyrdom.”
The image of the Facebook post where this copy appeared:

(15) February 4, 2018: Facebook omitted Israel from list of countries from which users can select as their location — but included “Palestine,” which is not even a nation

On February 4, 2018, the following item was published by Israel National News:

NY Assemblyman: Facebook is shamefully excluding Israel; NY Assemblyman calls on Facebook CEO to take immediate action. ‘Palestine is not even a country,’ by Arutz Sheva Staff, Israel National News, February 4, 2018. Excerpt:

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is calling on Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to take immediate action on what he calls Facebook’s “shameful” exclusion of Israel. Hikind says that, when creating a background profile on Facebook, users are given 50 country flag options. These options, he claims, include Palestine, while Israel is conspicuously absent.

“Palestine is not even a country,” said Hikind. “How did it end up as an option? Well, we all know the answer to that. I suspect some racist programmer was able to slip that by while purposefully excluding Israel as an option. That’s insulting and Facebook should be held accountable.”

“Mark Zuckerberg has been quoted as saying, ‘As a Jew, my parents taught me that we must stand up against attacks on all communities.’ I am calling on Mr. Zuckerberg to get to the bottom of this attack on Jews and Israelis. The exclusion of Israel from Facebook, a publicly traded company, while Palestine is included is no accident—it’s a purposeful, racist insult that must be addressed immediately.”

Hikind also asked Facebook users to utilize the “report a problem” feature on the Facebook Help menu to enlighten Facebook of the alleged issue.


Dov Hikind’s Tweet containing instructions for how to complain to Facebook, and a local newscast’s coverage of this issue


(16) February 6, 2018: Facebook relented, inserted Israel in countries list

On February 6, 2018, Israel National News published this follow-up:

Hikind praises Facebook after Israel added as background option; NY assemblyman thanks Facebook for taking action after discovery that ‘Palestine’, but not Israel, listed for background profile options, by Arutz Sheva Staff, Israel National News, February 6, 2018. Excerpt:

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) expressed his appreciation Tuesday to senior Facebook officials for taking immediate corrective action after he alerted them to the exclusion of Israel as an option for one the social media giant’s features.

Now, following Arutz Sheva’s publication of Hikind’s statement, when creating a background profile on Facebook, users can choose the Israeli flag as their frame. […]

“I was fairly certain that Facebook’s upper management, and especially CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were unaware of the issue. I am grateful that thanks to our efforts, Facebook has done the right thing—and quickly.”

“There is another lesson in this, too,” Hikind added. “When you see something that’s wrong, don’t just sit there. Speak up!”