Israeli defence minister seeks Facebook, TikTok blackout

Israel has asked Facebook and TikTok to ditch what it calls posts that incite violence on the platforms as the regime’s war machine breathes fire on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Benny Gantz, who is Israel’s minister of military affairs as well as justice minister, urged executives of the American technology conglomerate, Facebook, and the Chinese-owned popular site, TikTok, to unleash a crackdown on such content.

“These are measures that will directly prevent the violence that is being intentionally stirred through social media by extremist elements that are seeking to do damage to” Israel, Gantz said on Thursday night during two separate Zoom meetings with executives of both major social media firms, his office reported in a statement on Friday.

“We are in a moment of social emergency, and we expect your assistance,” Gantz was further quoted as saying.

The statement said the executives of the two firms had vowed to “quickly and effectively” address the alleged incitement.

Israel has been bombarding the blockaded Gaza Strip repeatedly for the past several days.

At least 139 Palestinians, including 39 children and 22 women, have been killed and about 1,000 others injured since Monday.

Palestinians share shocking footage and heart-wrenching images of civilians in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza to show the international community what is really going on and what hell-like situation Israel is creating there.

What Gantz is really asking Facebook and TikTok is apparently a sort of news blackout on the platforms regarding the situation in Gaza in an attempt to conceal the Tel Aviv regime’s crimes against more than two million Palestinians living in the densely populated enclave.