Over the past few months, the Im Tirtzu movement and the Lech Jerusalem organization, together with the Chosen for Life forum, have led an ongoing campaign against the pages Maydan al Quds and Al Qastal. These pages purported to report from East Jerusalem, but in reality have become very serious incitement pages.
For example, on Sunday, the pages published numerous videos and posters about the terrorist, including an 'interview' with his daughter, mother, and son, who said they were proud of his actions as a martyr. His daughter even said that her father informed her in advance of his intention to carry out an attack.
In addition, these pages specialized in what they called 'reporting directly from the scene of the incident.' In practice, the pages became a source of unrest and anger among Palestinians, when they reported a terrorist as killed, without reporting what he had done. The pages also covered Palestinian riots and pro-Hamas marches, and posted posters every day against Jews who ascend the Temple Mount.
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These pages waged a long-running struggle to release 'prisoners' and their bodies, meaning terrorists who carried out attacks. Among other things, the page conducted interviews with the family of Fadi al-Kanbar, the murderer of the ramming attack at the Commissioner's Palace in which Deputy Shir Hajjaj was murdered, and called for the release of his body.
Many posters were posted on the pages calling for the release of terrorist perpetrators, including members of the "Silwan Squad," who were responsible for the murderous attacks at Cafe Moment in Jerusalem and the Sheffield Club in Rishon LeZion. In addition, posts were made in support of the murderers of Nachshon Waxman and the terrorists who stabbed a 13-year-old Jewish boy in Jerusalem.
As mentioned, last night, after numerous requests from Im Tirtzu and Lech Jerusalem to Facebook and a lengthy struggle to report the incitement, the pages were finally removed.
A report on the Al-Qastil network's website states: "The war against the Palestinians continues... These pages exposed the occupation forces' abuse of children, the demolition of homes, and more... Because they reveal the truth, the Zionist forces that control the Western media are trying to remove them... The war against the Palestinian networks is part of the overall war against the Palestinians to break them... This is a catastrophe and international hypocrisy.".
Matan Peleg, chairman of the Im Tirtzu movement, and Maor Tzemach, chairman of the Lech Jerusalem organization, said: "A very important day for the fight against terrorism and incitement. We thank Facebook for this important decision. The Palestinians are already trying to claim that this is a silencing, but it is clear that the incitement pages played a very important part in the culture of terror and the glorification of the martyrs in Palestinian society. We will continue to closely monitor what is happening on social networks and ensure that they are not used for blatant incitement that spills the blood of our people.".
Mairav and Herzl Hajjaj, members of the 'Choose Life' forum, the parents of Lieutenant Shir Hajjaj, who were partners in the demand to remove the page that praised and glorified the murderer of their daughter in the car bombing attack, said: "We thank Facebook for removing the page that praised the terrorist who murdered our beloved daughter Shir. Facebook has finally understood that a page praising terrorist murderers is causing additional murders of Jews. They have finally understood that our daughter's blood was not in vain. And for that, thank you.".
