Channels

Israel friendly. iPhone
Photo: Hagai Dekel
Steve Jobs
Photo: Reuters

Apple pulls '3rd Intifada' app

Computer giant heeds Jerusalem's request, removes inciting application from iPads, iPhones Store

Apple Inc announced that it has removed an application called the "The Third Intifada" from its iPads and iPhones App Store.

 

"We removed this app from the App Store because it violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people," an Apple spokesman said in a statement.

 

 

Ynet learned Thursday that the announcement followed a request to that effect by Israeli Minister of Information and Diaspora Yuli Edelstein, who wrote a letter to Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs voicing Jerusalem's concern about the application's content.

 

"Upon review of the stories, articles and photos published by means of the application, one can easily see that this is in fact anti-Israel and anti-Zionist. Furthermore, as is implied by its name, the application calls for an uprising against the state of Israel," Edelstein wrote

 

"I believe Apple, as a pioneering and progressive company, places the values of liberty, freedom of expression and creativity as a guiding light. Also, as a leader in its area, I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application's ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous."

 

Edelstein asked Apple to pull the application, which allowed users to comment and post photos and stories about protests opposing Israel and Israeli policies.

 

According to CNN, the minister's letter came on the heels of a successful Israeli campaign in May, which prompted the removal of a Facebook page by the same name.

 

The page's removal followed heavy criticism from the Israeli government and pro-Israel organizations that Facebook was ignoring its own terms-of-service guidelines, which bars the posting of content that is "hateful, threatening, or... incites violence."

 

Edelstein said at the time that the removal of the page showed that "Facebook management understood that the page is a blunt abuse of freedom of speech to incite to violent actions."

 

Ehud Kenan contributed to this report 

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.23.11, 07:22
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment