YouTube removes videos of Israeli human rights violations in Palestine
WASHINGTON, Nov. 06 (YPA) – The American newspaper “The Intercept” reported yesterday that the US government is continuing its efforts to cover up war crimes committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The report indicated that since last October, YouTube has targeted hundreds of Palestinian content and accounts, with at least 700 videos deleted, despite YouTube having approximately 2.5 billion active users.
Among the deleted videos was a documentary telling the stories of mothers who survived the genocide in Gaza, as well as videos showing the occupation’s role in the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and the targeting of civilians, and a video documenting the demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank.
The report indicated that the platform also deleted the accounts of Palestinian human rights organizations such as Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights because of their posting of these videos.
These accounts contained hours of material documenting the occupation’s violations of international law, including the killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
In response to the censorship allegations, YouTube spokesperson Butt Pullwinkle said: “Google is committed to complying with applicable U.S. sanctions and trade compliance laws.”
The report quoted an unnamed spokesperson from Al-Haq, who said the organization’s channel was deleted on October 3, and that a message from YouTube stated the content violated the platform’s rules.
The spokesperson considered the decision to ban without prior warning a serious violation of principles and a worrying setback with regard to human rights and freedom of expression.
The spokesperson noted that “US sanctions are used to frustrate accountability efforts in Palestine and silence Palestinian voices, and this is reflected on platforms operating under these sanctions and further silencing Palestinian voices.”
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the oldest human rights organization in Gaza, said: “This YouTube move protects perpetrators of violations from accountability.”