Facebook Targets Hizbullah, Shuts Down its TV Network's Page

by Elad Benari

Facebook pages created by the Hizbullah terror group’s Al-Manar television station have been removed from the site, the Lebanese Daily Star reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the decision by the social networking website to halt activity connected with Hizbullah was made because the group appears on the State Department’s list of terror organizations.

“Under our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities we do not allow content that incites violence,” Frederic Wolens, a Facebook spokesperson, was quoted as having said. “And to help keep our site safe, we use the State Department List of Foreign Terror Organizations to help make determinations of which groups may be involved in the promotion of violence. Due to Hizbullah's appearance on the list, they have been removed from the site.”

Wolens said this extended to Al-Manar, whose official page was not accessible Thursday. A Hizbullah community page was also down, although a spokesperson for the group told the Daily Star the group has never had an official page.

Several weeks ago, Apple Inc. removed an application that Hizbullah was advertising on the iTunes store promoting streaming video from Al-Manar.

The app, which had been advertised on the air by Al-Manar, directed users to various broadcast content, including speeches by Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) praised Apple Inc. for its decision, saying, “As the media arm of the terrorist group Hizbullah, Al-Manar is a source for anti-American and anti-Israel propaganda and messages of hate and violence. We commend Apple for removing the app from the iTunes store and appreciate their vigilance in ensuring that terrorist-affiliated organizations will not have access to Apple's customers.”

On Thursday, according to the Daily Star, the Al-Manar website offered an alternative way to download its app “following the campaign carried out by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League to deactivate Al-Manar applications on smartphones at Google Play and Apple store.”

Last week, the United States imposed a new round of penalties against Syria that included Hizbullah, due to its providing support to President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The U.S. Treasury said that the Lebanese terror group, designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization in 1995, has been providing training and extensive logistical support to Syria's government.

The Hizbullah leadership claimed this week that its missiles can now reach all of Israeli territory.

Speaking at a ceremony in southern Lebanon, Nabil Ka'uk announced from the podium that “Hizbullah rockets can reach all Israeli settlements,” referring to Israeli towns and cities.

Tags: Facebook ,Hizbullah ,Al Manar

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• As published online at ArutzSheva, 17 August 2012