YouTube has quietly deleted more than 700 videos documenting alleged Israeli human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank. The move came after a US government campaign aimed at stifling accountability for alleged war crimes against Palestinians.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq, and the Mezan Center for Human Rights had their YouTube accounts terminated by Google, citing compliance with applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. However, critics say that this action is an attempt to silence Palestinian human rights organizations and stifle information about alleged Israeli atrocities.
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, stated that "YouTube is showing a little backbone" in its decision to remove content from the Palestinian groups' channels. Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, added that "it's not going to end with Palestine."
The ICC has issued arrest warrants and charged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant with war crimes, but the US government rejected their legitimacy. The Trump administration has taken steps to silence Palestinian voices and undermine accountability efforts.
YouTube's actions have been compared to its previous decisions to remove content deemed critical of Israel. This move could set a precedent for other tech companies to follow, as YouTube has shown a willingness to comply with demands from the Trump administration and Israeli officials.
Al-Haq, one of the affected groups, said that their termination was an "alarming setback" for human rights and freedom of expression. The group stated that the US sanctions are being used to silence Palestinian voices and victims, and that YouTube's decision is complicit in this effort.
The Intercept has reported on the Trump administration's efforts to stifle information about Israeli atrocities and undermine accountability efforts. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how other tech companies will respond to pressure from the US government and Israeli officials.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq, and the Mezan Center for Human Rights had their YouTube accounts terminated by Google, citing compliance with applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. However, critics say that this action is an attempt to silence Palestinian human rights organizations and stifle information about alleged Israeli atrocities.
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, stated that "YouTube is showing a little backbone" in its decision to remove content from the Palestinian groups' channels. Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, added that "it's not going to end with Palestine."
The ICC has issued arrest warrants and charged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant with war crimes, but the US government rejected their legitimacy. The Trump administration has taken steps to silence Palestinian voices and undermine accountability efforts.
YouTube's actions have been compared to its previous decisions to remove content deemed critical of Israel. This move could set a precedent for other tech companies to follow, as YouTube has shown a willingness to comply with demands from the Trump administration and Israeli officials.
Al-Haq, one of the affected groups, said that their termination was an "alarming setback" for human rights and freedom of expression. The group stated that the US sanctions are being used to silence Palestinian voices and victims, and that YouTube's decision is complicit in this effort.
The Intercept has reported on the Trump administration's efforts to stifle information about Israeli atrocities and undermine accountability efforts. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how other tech companies will respond to pressure from the US government and Israeli officials.
they're literally deleting vids of palestinian human rights abuses like what are we even doing here? 
i mean i get it google has gotta follow some rules but this is a whole different level of shady 
and btw why are we still not talking about the icc arrest warrants for netanyahu and gallant? 
that's where the real story is imo 
"Those who know what they want are already halfway there." 
youtube is being super shady right now! they're basically allowing the us gov to dictate what content can or cant be shared about israeli human rights abuses in gaza & west bank... it's like they're trying to keep the truth from getting out 
. and now that they've gone ahead and deleted all those vids docuing alleged abuses, it's just gonna make it harder for ppl to stay informed about what's really going on over there 
!
- that's what this whole situation feels like. YouTube silencing Palestinian human rights orgs is super concerning. Think about it: they're basically saying, "Hey, we won't show content from these groups because the US gov doesn't want you to". It's like they're getting their hands clean of any potential wrongdoing 
.
. This whole thing reeks of a power struggle, with YouTube and other tech companies caught in the middle. They're basically being forced to choose between pleasing the US gov or standing up for free speech 
. Not sure which way they'll jump, but one thing's for sure: this is going to set some kind of precedent 
. Can't help but wonder what other orgs will get silenced next 
and it's just not right. I mean, we already know they've been removing content critical of Israel left and right... now they're using sanctions as an excuse to silence Palestinian voices? 
), but they need to think about where their actions are going to lead.
It's just another example of how hard it is to hold powerful interests accountable.
. now we can't even talk about it on the net because google's too scared to allow it. what's next? them silencing the voices of those who are already getting crushed by the us gov 
. gotta wonder what other vids will get deleted next, who knows? probably all the ones that don't fit into israel's narrative 
.
but still, 700 vids gone. that's a lotta info being silenced 
And for what? So they can avoid some diplomatic fallout? 
It's not like they're just silencing Palestinian voices, they're silencing anyone who might speak out against Israel. 
what's going on?!? these groups like al-haq & pchr were just doing their job, reporting on the truth and now they're getting silenced 
this is so not okay!!! youtube should be a safe space for all voices, not just ones that are comfy with the status quo 
youtube cant just delete videos like that its like theyre silencing voices that need to be heard 
and what about freedom of expression? 
. If the ICC is looking to hold Israel accountable, they need more than just lip service 
.
.
& israel