{"id":197450,"date":"2019-11-06T06:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=197450"},"modified":"2019-11-09T06:42:22","modified_gmt":"2019-11-09T06:42:22","slug":"twitter-censors-news-from-palestine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=197450","title":{"rendered":"Twitter censors news from Palestine"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Ali Abunimah \u2013 Electronic Intifada Nov 4, 2019<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/twitter-censorship.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-170486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/twitter-censorship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/twitter-censorship.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/twitter-censorship-300x172.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter shut down the accounts of Quds News Network, a major Palestinian news publication, without warning or explanation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter has provided no explanation for why it shut down the accounts of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/qudsn.net\">Quds News Network<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, a major Palestinian news service, over the weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">This alarming act of censorship is another indication of the complicity of major social media firms in Israel\u2019s efforts to suppress news and information about its abuses of Palestinian rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">QNN <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/qudsn.net\/post\/170230\/\">said on Monday<\/a><\/strong><\/span> that its four main accounts were suspended without warning or explanation early on Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Palestinian news agency <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/qudsn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@qudsn<\/a>&#39;s twitter accounts were suspended even though they were verified and had almost 1M followers. This is a clear attack on Palestinian journalism because of Israeli pressure.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TwitterSupport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TwitterSupport<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Raja Abdulhaq (@Raja48) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Raja48\/status\/1190429888060280833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/NisreenAlKhatib\/status\/1190559220527181825<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">QNN said it has pursued efforts to appeal the suspensions through Twitter\u2019s website but received no response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter typically notifies users of alleged violations of its terms of service and provides them an opportunity to remove violating content or to appeal a decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">No indication anywhere that Quds violated Twitter\u2019s terms of service and therefore a strong suggestion of more heavy handed censorship by the hasbara lobby &amp; Western national security apparatus that has seamlessly integrated itself into Silicon Valley. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DQCuoT9gvj\">https:\/\/t.co\/DQCuoT9gvj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaxBlumenthal\/status\/1190669961414529029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The Electronic Intifada also wrote to Twitter\u2019s press team on Saturday seeking comment on the company\u2019s actions against QNN, but has received no response.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I have written to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TwitterComms?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TwitterComms<\/a> at press@twitter.com to inquire about suspension of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/qudsn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@qudsn<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Qudsn_Brk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Qudsn_Brk<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QudsNen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@QudsNen<\/a>. This is alarming censorship against Palestinian media. I hope <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Twitter<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TwitterMENA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TwitterMENA<\/a> will reverse this suspension immediately and desist from all further censorship.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AliAbunimah\/status\/1190628517807054848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">QNN said it \u201crejects responding to Israeli pressure, fighting Palestinian content under the pretext of fighting \u2018violence and terrorism.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cSuch practices are complete bias towards the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people,\u201d the publication added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The Electronic Intifada has frequently cited QNN\u2019s tweets in its reporting, as the publication often provides near real-time coverage of events on the ground throughout the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its coverage has been highly reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter has previously <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/ali-abunimah\/twitter-enforcing-israeli-military-censorship\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>enforced Israeli military censorship<\/strong><\/span><\/a> by compelling users to delete specific tweets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">But shutting out entire publications from its platform marks a new phase in efforts to block information from and about Palestine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter\u2019s action follows a recent decision by the Palestinian Authority to <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/tamara-nassar\/palestinian-authority-blocks-59-news-outlets\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>block access<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to the websites of dozens of Palestinian news outlets, including QNN, in a major crackdown on freedom of expression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The Palestinian Authority collaborates closely with Israeli occupation forces under the banner of \u201c<a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/tags\/security-coordination\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>security coordination<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter\u2019s action also follows a long-standing <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/ali-abunimah\/facebook-labels-palestinian-journalism-hate-speech\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>censorship campaign by Facebook<\/strong><\/span><\/a> targeting Palestinian <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/tamara-nassar\/palestinian-authority-blocks-59-news-outlets\">journalists<\/a> and publications.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Congressional pressure<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter users pointed out that the suspension of QNN\u2019s accounts coincided with the shutting down of accounts associated with organizations that resist Israel, particularly Hamas and Lebanon\u2019s Hizballah \u2013 that Israel and the United States consider \u201cterrorist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter apparently <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlmanarEnglish\">disabled the account<\/a><\/strong><\/span> of Al Manar, a TV channel operated by Hizballah.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">accounts suspended by twitter in the last 24 hours from palestine:<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/qudsn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@qudsn<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Qudsn_Brk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@qudsn_brk<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QudsNen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@qudsnen<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/asranews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@asranews<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hamasinfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@hamasinfo<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HamasInfoEn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@hamasinfoen<\/a><br \/>lebanon:<br \/>@alamanarnews<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlmanarEnglish?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@almanarenglish<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlahednewsEn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@alahednewsen<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; leila (@ainiladra) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ainiladra\/status\/1190667608997187588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">This censorship follows pressure from members of Congress who in September <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/gottheimer.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1446\">wrote to Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and other social media firms demanding that Al Manar\u2019s account and accounts associated with Hamas be closed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The lawmakers demanded the firms provide a \u201cdetailed plan and timeline for how to remove [Foreign Terrorist Organization] content and accounts as well as propaganda accounts that further spread terrorist content.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">In an <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/gottheimer.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/9.24.2019_twitter_response_to_gottheimer.pdf\">initial response<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to the lawmakers \u2013 Democrat Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Republicans Tom Reed of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania \u2013 Twitter said it does remove so-called \u201cterrorist\u201d content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">However the social media firm initially resisted the pressure to crack down further on speech by political parties and media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter said it \u201cmay make limited exceptions for groups that have reformed or are currently engaging in peaceful resolution processes, as well as groups with representatives who have been elected to public office through elections, as is the case with parts of Hamas and Hizballah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">But the lawmakers <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.njherald.com\/news\/20191024\/gottheimer-twitter-must-stop-aiding-foreign-terror\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>went on the attack<\/strong><\/span><\/a> again, with Gottheimer accusing Twitter of \u201cbucking US law by blatantly supporting foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hizballah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cTwitter is literally, and arrogantly, disputing the US government\u2019s determination of what constitutes a terrorist organization,\u201d Gottheimer added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The congressman is asserting that the government has the right to determine by executive decree which organizations may or may not speak or be heard from by Americans simply by labeling them \u201cterrorist\u201d \u2013 a blatant violation of the First Amendment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">But rather than defend free speech rights, Twitter appears this time to have caved in to <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/gottheimer.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1505\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>political pressure and intimidation<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and taken down a wide range of accounts that challenge Israeli and US policy,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">They include those of QNN, an independent publication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Congressman Gottheimer is a prominent supporter of censoring the media in order to shield Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Last year he <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/usa\/420730-aljazeera-foreign-agent-israeli-lobby\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>signed a letter<\/strong><\/span><\/a> demanding that the US government designate Al Jazeera as a \u201cforeign agent\u201d because the network made a documentary revealing covert activities in the US by Israel and its lobby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Al Jazeera never broadcast the documentary, <em>The Lobby\u2013USA<\/em>, after the network\u2019s funder Qatar came under intense pressure from the Israel lobby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">However a year ago, The Electronic Intifada <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/content\/watch-film-israel-lobby-didnt-want-you-see\/25876\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>published the entire film<\/strong><\/span><\/a> after obtaining a leaked copy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Following government dictates?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter appears to follow dictates from US authorities to silence officially designated enemies in other countries as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">In September, for example, it <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-cuba-twitter-idUSKCN1VX2AH\">closed down<\/a><\/strong><\/span> the accounts of Cuban media and top officials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Last year it also <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/news\/439509-twitter-censors-venezuela-press\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>closed down<\/strong><\/span><\/a> accounts belonging to the Venezuelan government\u2019s press team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Meanwhile, Twitter allows Israeli occupation forces to freely use its platform to celebrate war crimes against Palestinians:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Israel likes to document and boast about its war crimes on social media.<\/p>\n<p>Revenge demolitions of homes belonging to the families of accused Palestinian assailants is an act of collective punishment, a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/I36Fmeaz9T\">https:\/\/t.co\/I36Fmeaz9T<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Maureen Murphy (@maureenclarem) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/maureenclarem\/status\/1187747791340298241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 25, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Twitter has also failed to crack down on pervasive death threats against <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ccffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/tags\/ilhan-omar\">Ilhan Omar<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and other US lawmakers who have been targeted with racist incitement and smear campaigns because they have criticized Israel and US foreign policy:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yo <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Twitter<\/a> this is unacceptable! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EShwP1UU9O\">https:\/\/t.co\/EShwP1UU9O<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IlhanMN\/status\/1191107872756830210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 3, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/ali-abunimah\/twitter-censors-news-palestine\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Twitter has previously enforced Israeli military censorship by compelling users to delete specific tweets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-197450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-controlling-the-news-andor-the-free-exchange-of-ideas-and-information","category-Israel_Anti-Semitism_Zionism_and_US-UK_allies"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=197450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197453,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197450\/revisions\/197453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=197450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=197450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=197450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}