Israeli law group demands Facebook remove Hamas account
Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin has placed Facebook and its Israeli branch under formal legal notice for allowing Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV to maintain Facebook and Instagram accounts.
In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook Israel general manager Adi Soffer-Teeri, Shurat HaDin claims that Facebook’s continual support of Al-Aqsa TV violates US law. The NGO shared its letter with the media.
Because the state-owned TV channel in Gaza is run by Hamas, Facebook’s maintenance of its account is comparable to providing the organization with support and resources, the letter alleges.
“This conduct is particularly egregious in light of the barrages of deadly missile and mortar attacks the Hamas has launched against Israeli civilians and residential centers in the last 24 hours,” writes Shurat HaDin president Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.
This is not the NGO’s first run-in with Facebook. Shurat HaDin sued the social media network in 2015, claiming that it incited violent attacks against Israelis by allowing anti-Israel content on its platform. The group created two Facebook pages, one anti-Arab and one anti-Israel with similar content to test Facebook’s guidelines. At first, just the anti-Israel page was taken down.
The organization tried to raise $30,000 to place billboards near Zuckerberg’s house in support of its case and to protest the company’s alleged incitement of violence. The case was thrown out of a New York court in 2017.
Shurat HaDin was created in 2003, modeled after the Southern Poverty Law Center’s strategy of financially crippling racists with litigation in America. It has been involved in a number of similar cases attacking groups for anti-Israel activity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, Yair, began working for the organization earlier this year as its social media coordinator.
“Please be advised that, in the event Facebook continues to provide accounts or services to Al-Aqsa TV, we intend to notify the appropriate governmental authorities of Facebook’s willful violation of US and Israeli law,” Darshan-Leitner wrote. “In addition, we reserve the right to pursue all legal avenues, including civil litigation, against Facebook on behalf of the victims of Hamas’ terrorist attacks.”
The letter comes on the same day that The New York Times released a bombshell investigation about Facebook claiming that Zuckerberg knew about Russian interference in his company months earlier than initially claimed.– From Shurat HaDin
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American Jewish Committee offers a free Thanksgiving seder booklet
In advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, AJC has reissued its popular America’s Table, a 12-page reader for use when families and friends gather for the festive meal on Thursday. Copies are available at www.AJC.org/ThanksgivingReader.
“America’s Table puts all Americans on the same page, marking the Thanksgiving holiday with a celebration of our nation’s unique democracy and diversity,” said AJC CEO David Harris.”
America’s Table: A Thanksgiving Reader tells America’s story with narration that is short enough not to delay the turkey, but long enough to remind Americans of the following:
- We are each on a journey: Our families came from many different places but share a common land, America. While proud of our individual roots, we are drawn together by shared American experiences and values.
- We are each part of America’s journey: It was a difficult journey for many and an unjust passage for some. But America has become the sum of our unique contributions.
- We are each responsible for keeping America on course: It is our watch. America’s journey is our journey, and our responsibility.
“The strength of our nation derives in large measure from its rich tapestry of racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds,” said Harris. “We seek in our relations with other communities to enhance mutual respect and understanding, and to build coalitions of conscience. In America, each of us is entitled to a place at the table.” – From American Jewish Committee
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Schiff responds to ‘schoolboy name-calling attack’ on him by President Trump
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) noted that he had been attacked on a personal basis by President Donald Trump. He commented:
President Trump attacked me on Twitter. Again.
I’ve lost track of how many times this president has resorted to schoolyard name-calling to attack his critics. This time, he put fifth graders to shame everywhere, misspelling my name to… Well, I’ll just let you see for yourself:
He makes us all so proud.
The last time someone called me that, they had their mouth washed out with soap. Real presidential.
But the reality is that Trump would rather talk about anything other than the clear verdict from the midterm election that Americans have had enough, and the incoming Democratic majority is ready to hold him accountable, finally. But I’m not going to let him change the subject, especially when he’s still trying to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller and protect himself. — From Rep. Adam Schiff
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Tel Aviv University gala in Los Angeles will honor Susan and Henry Samueli
The 2018 Tel Aviv University (TAU) International Gala will honor changemakers, philanthropists and Stanley Cup winners Susan and Henry Samueli for their commitment to technology, education, health and Israel. The event, co-hosted by TAU and the American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU), will be held December 12 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
Mr. Samueli is co-founder and chief technical officer of Broadcom Inc., a diversified global semiconductor leader built on 50 years of innovation, collaboration and engineering excellence. Mrs. Samueli is president of the Samueli Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations primarily in the areas of education, integrative health, youth services and Jewish culture. The Samuelis are long-time supporters of TAU and forerunners in forging a deeper academic alliance with the men and women leading innovation in Israeli science and technology. The Broadcom-TAU relationship continues to reap rewards in California and Israel.
“Susan and Henry Samueli have a longstanding commitment to Tel Aviv University,” said TAU President Prof. Joseph Klafter. “Their efforts have strengthened a long and fruitful relationship between the University and Broadcom that is helping to advance research and international collaborations and will undoubtedly contribute to the prosperity and stature of both TAU and Israel.”
In November, TAU announced a $20 million gift from the Samuelis to establish the Susan and Henry Samueli Engineering and Health Research Fund at the University as well as name a new building currently under construction on the TAU campus, funded by Broadcom, which will house both Broadcom’s R&D Center in Israel as well as Faculty of Engineering. Their generous gift has reinforced the relationship between TAU and Broadcom. The establishment of the Samueli-Broadcom building will create a dynamic hub for state-of-the-art research, teaching and industry-academy collaboration between students, scientists and engineers.
“We are delighted to celebrate Susan and Henry and the tremendous impact they are having on technology, higher education and Tel Aviv University,” said Gail Reiss, president and CEO of AFTAU. “We believe advanced research and international industry-academy ventures such as this will contribute to Israel’s visibility on a global scale and perpetuate the pioneering spirit of the Samueli family among generations of Israeli professionals for years to come.” — From American Friends of Tel Aviv University
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com