SoylentNews

takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has roped in Facebook [bbc.co.uk], according to the BBC:

An Israeli rights group is suing Facebook for $1bn on behalf of families of victims of Palestinian attacks. The Shurat Hadin group says Facebook violates the US Anti-Terrorism Act by allowing militant groups such as Hamas a platform for spreading violence. Hamas called the lawsuit an Israeli attempt to blackmail Facebook. The victims cited in the case are all American, including Taylor Force, 28, who was stabbed to death while visiting Israel in March. The others are dual Israeli-US nationals who died in attacks in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank between 2014 and 2016.

The suit, filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues the platform "knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas... facilitat(ing) this terrorist group's ability to communicate, recruit members, plan and carry out attacks, and strike fear in its enemies". Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, accused Israel of trying to turn it into a spy tool against Palestinians. He said some Israeli politicians and soldiers had "expressed pride at the killing of Palestinians" on Facebook and other social media.

Original Submission