YouTube shuts down Hamas channel

YouTube has shut down a Hamas channel, possibly in response to a letter from Israel’s Foreign Ministry asking it to remove videos that promote killing Jews. Social media continues to play a prominent role in Palestinian incitement.

Medics evacuate a police officer injured by a Palestinian terrorist in Jerusalem. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

By: Lauren Calin, World Israel News

Hamas has indicated that YouTube shut down one of its channels for producing videos encouraging violence against Israelis. Israel’s Foreign Ministry sent letters to Facebook and YouTube Thursday asking the websites to remove content promoting terrorism. A new hashtag has flourished over the past several days, calling to “#Kill Israelis.”

The channel in question featured a video parodying a hit song by Israeli pop singer Eyal Golan, calling for Hamas members to “wipe out the Zionists.” The video included clips of terrorist attacks and rocket launchings. The Israeli Foreign Ministry linked to that video in particular, as well as to an animation of the shootings of Naama and Eitam Henkin in front of their four children, in a letter to social media sites requesting they remove material promoting violence.

“The videos depict recent terrorist attacks, praise the assailants and present Jews and Israelis in a hateful and racist manner, and since their publishing, three more attacks have taken place so far,” read an excerpt of the letter provided to Israeli media.

A current visit to the Hamas channel says that the channel has been removed due to copyright infringement.

Both Facebook and Google, YouTube’s parent company, have policies in place that prohibit use of their websites for hate speech and incitement to violence. Despite this, social media websites continue to play a major role in propagating anti-Semitism and organizing terrorism. In the past several days, a new hashtag has been spreading through these sites proclaiming, “#Kill Israelis.”

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