Intifada Facebook page removed, re-launched
(Video) Social network removes page calling for third intifada despite previously claiming such 'upsetting' content was legitimate. Page re-launched soon after being removed
The page included inciting and anti-Israel content, a call to take violent action against Israel, Palestinian propaganda videos and more.
The page was incredibly popular, receiving some 350,000 'likes.' Many of its posts received thousands of comments from surfers.
Their main message was identifying with the popular struggle in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya – and a call to launch a third Intifada on May 15, Nakba day.
The page went online a few weeks ago and was received with a great deal of opposition from Israeli web surfers and Israel supporters abroad. Its content was seen as illegitimate incitement which encouraged violence.
A Palestinian propaganda video uploaded to the facebook page
Last week, Minister of Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking the Facebook creator to remove the page because it promotes violence. The letter was sent last Wednesday – on the day of the Jerusalem terror attack which killed one woman and injured 40.
Initially, the network ignored complaints sent by Israeli surfers. After Edelstein's letter was received Facebook published a response that angered many, saying: "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.
"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," Facebook's spokeswoman said. Yet in spite of this response, the page was removed Tuesday afternoon.
Last Thursday, the group's administrators said that they weren't trying to provoke violence and were only realizing their freedom of expression. They warned Facbook's management team that removing the page would lead to a comprehensive Muslim boycott on the social network and claimed that it wasn't fair to focus on their page when there were so many similar pages online.
Meanwhile, the page has been re-launched just hours after being removed and is rapidly gaining 'likes'.
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