Netanyahu urges Musk for more censorship under guise of 'antisemitism'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + News websites
19 Sep 2023 11:12

This comes amid revelations of a notable increase in hateful anti-Palestinian discourse across various social media platforms in 2022.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives for a US Senate bipartisan forum on artificial intelligence at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Elon Musk to practice more censorship on the billionaire's social media platform X under the guise of "antisemitism" during a face-to-face meeting in California on Monday.

The meeting on Monday, initially promoted by the Israeli Prime Minister as a discussion on technology and artificial intelligence, promptly shifted its focus toward increased censorship under the pretext of "combating antisemitism".

Anti-Netanyahu protesters rallied in downtown San Francisco on Monday as the Israeli Prime Minister visited #California and held a meeting with Elon #Musk. pic.twitter.com/D8izvIN6v5
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 19, 2023

Since Musk assumed control of Twitter in October 2022, the platform has frequently been accused of antisemitism by Israeli lobbies.

Back in September, Elon Musk announced that he would be filing a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for their false accusations of antisemitism against him and his platform.

"To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League … oh the irony," Musk posted on X

At the time, Musk said advertisers are wary of controversy and that the ADL's accusations have caused them to "pause".

The ADL has demanded that Twitter suspend and shadowban accounts that they deem to be controversial, and this was the relationship that they had with Twitter and other social media platforms, Musk added.

The X advertising revenue "is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers" by the ADL, he said, adding that the League has been "trying to kill" X by "falsely accusing" it and himself of being antisemitic.

"To be super clear, I'm pro-free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind," Musk said in another tweet.

The ADL spokesperson said that they do not comment on legal threats as a matter of policy. In March, the ADL published a report that found Twitter was not adequately removing antisemitic content, with only 28% of such posts being taken down.

The ADL is an organization that was founded in 1913 with the claim of being an organization that fights anti-Semitism. However, it pedals pro-Zionist ideals and continuously denounces any pro-Palestinian thought.

The organization deliberately sidelines the rights and freedoms of Palestinians in order to promote the idea of a "Jewish state".

According to their website, the ADL proclaims Zionism to be "the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel," thus ignoring its roots that stem from European colonialism and the pursuit of expansion at the expense of third countries.

Social media platforms, another tool for Israeli occupation

The Israeli perspective appears to consistently hold sway on both social media platforms and mainstream media channels.

A recent study conducted by 7amle, the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, an organization advocating for Palestinian digital rights, has revealed that there was a notable increase in hateful anti-Palestinian discourse across various social media platforms in 2022. According to their findings, instances of racist comments surged by 10% in 2022 in comparison to the preceding year.

In 2022, Meta did acknowledge its practice of restricting pro-Palestine content and discourse, thereby highlighting the disparities in how the Palestinian issue is handled on online platforms.

A Meta-conducted review found that the company's policies during the Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip in May 2021 had "a negative impact on human rights." Specifically, it affected the rights of Palestinian users regarding freedom of expression, assembly, political engagement, and the prevention of discrimination. As a result, it hindered Palestinians from sharing information and firsthand accounts of their experiences as they unfolded.