Netflix under fire over removal of Palestinian movies
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The Zionist lobby's tentacles of pressure have extended all the way to Netflix, affecting the decisions of the giant streaming service.
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A screengrab of Netflx's subcategory which includes Palestinian movies (Netflix)
One of the most prominent streaming services, Netflix, formerly had a special subcategory for films about Palestine, with over 30 documentaries on family, perseverance, and life under occupation available.
As of October 13-14, virtually all 32 videos in the "Palestinian Stories" section had been deleted, leaving only two online, prompting a protest from human rights organizations and social media users.
There are suspicions that the Palestine-related films were deleted due to pressure from Zionist lobby organizations.
Activists have started a petition demanding Netflix to return the collection, questioning the reasons and motivations for its unexpected removal.
Rights group Freedom Forward asked in a letter: “How does Netflix justify the removal of so many films by or about Palestinians, one of the world’s most politically marginalized communities, especially at a time when Palestinians are facing genocide in Gaza?”
The Zionist lobby initiated a campaign against the collection as early as October 2021, when Netflix added the movies.
According to Israeli media, Im Tirtzu, a far-right Israeli watchdog, criticized Netflix's "Palestinian Stories" collection, claiming that 16 of the 19 featured filmmakers support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against "Israel".
Netflix responded to the move by emphasizing its support for artistic "freedom and authentic storytelling from all over the world," stating that the collection intended to "showcase the depth" of the Palestinian experience, "exploring people's lives, dreams, families, friendships, and love."
After previously declaring its commitment to diversity storytelling, Netflix appears to have quietly shifted its strategy.
CODEPINK, a pro-Palestine social justice organization, criticized the streaming giant's move, calling it "a literal erasure of Palestinians' stories and perspectives from popular culture."
The statement added that the move "prevents broader audiences from understanding the reality of Israel's brutal occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and now, genocide of Palestinians."
Some of the popular—now deleted—movies include Children of Shatila by Mai Masri, which depicts life in a refugee camp through the perspective of two children, and Ave Maria, a satirical short by Basil Khalil about Palestinian nuns aiding an Israeli settler family.
Billionaire Zionists fuel anti-Palestine disinformation campaign
"Facts for Peace" is another covert initiative launched by elements of the Zionist movement, this time led by fervent Zionist billionaires.
The US news outlet Semafor first reported on this campaign on November 9 last year, with the headline "Billionaires discuss $50 million anti-Hamas media blitz."
Real estate billionaire Barry Sternlicht spearheaded the effort in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In an email, Sternlicht sought $1 million contributions from several of the wealthiest individuals in the business world.
He mentioned having had “a great conversation” about the campaign with CNN owner David Zaslav and added that Endeavor CEO and talent agent Ari Emmanuel had “agreed to coordinate” the effort. However, spokespeople for both Zaslav and Emmanuel have stated that neither is currently involved.
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The email was sent to more than 50 prominent figures, including media mogul David Geffen, investors Michael Milken and Nelson Peltz, and tech giants Eric Schmidt and Michael Dell.
Collectively, the recipients' net worth is estimated at nearly $500 billion, based on data from Bloomberg and Forbes.
Sternlicht stated in his email that he aimed to raise $50 million from the group, with plans to seek matching funds from a major Jewish charity. The goal was to fund a media campaign to “define Hamas” as “not just the enemy of Israel, but of the United States.”
By early November, the effort had raised several million dollars, hired Josh Blasto, a former aide to Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo, as an advisor, and quietly launched the website factsforpeace.org.
Later that month, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that a multimillion-dollar campaign against the pro-Palestinian movement had spent over $370,000 in viral ads on Facebook and Instagram, without disclosing its financial sources.
Blasto's name is notably absent from the Facts for Peace listings for ads on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the organization's website. However, reverse searches of the phone number registered in Meta's ad library trace back to Blasto, and the same number is listed for his PR firm, Bamberger and Vlasto.
Fulfill the Promise LLC was initially founded on September 15, 2022, then renamed Change the Narrative Coalition LLC on October 16, 2023, before becoming Facts for Peace on the same day.
Through the Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation, Sternlicht had, in 2022, financially supported Birthright, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Chabad Lubavitch sect, which some critics have described as genocidal.
Facts for Peace is just one of several covert operations led by Zionists to suppress opposition to the genocide in Palestine, with many others operating in a similar vein.
