Israel arrests Palestinian for inciting violence and terrorism on Facebook

Israel again takes action against a Palestinian using social media as a weapon.  

Israeli police arrested a Palestinian over allegations that he incited violence and terrorism and expressed support for the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group on Facebook, an Israeli police spokesperson announced.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri stated on Sunday that the suspect, in his 40s from the Hebron area, was detained last Friday and was remanded on Sunday.

She said the case was opened several months ago after Israeli police monitored posts which he shared on his Facebook page expressing support of ISIS and its activities, including videos depicting executions carried out by the group.

She added that the suspect had been sharing such posts from 2015 until the present, and that he was detained “due to the seriousness and danger of posts that incite violence and terrorism.”

She said the investigation was ongoing.

Israel has recognized the threat emanating from incitement to terrorism spread on Facebook and has successfully acted against those who use social media as a weapon, helping to reduce a trend of attacks against Israelis.

Israel’s Haaretz reported in April that Israeli forces have detained at least 400 Palestinians in less than a year over incitement on social media.

Speaking in July 2016, Israel’s Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan slammed Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg for what he said was their partial responsibility for the wave of Palestinian terror attacks, which is fanned by incitement posted on Facebook and other social media outlets.

Erdan said that “part of the blood of the murdered is on Facebook’s hands,” and demanded that the social media network take action to combat the phenomenon.

“Facebook has become a monster,” the Israeli minister charged. “The discourse of the younger [Palestinian] generation on the web, all the incitement and lies, it all occurs on this platform. I am in support of Mr. Zuckerberg conducting self-monitoring.”

By: World Israel News Staff

FacebookIncitementISISPalestinian terrorSocial media