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Facebook Suspends Netanyahu's Page over Hate Speech Against Arabs

Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a staffer for the offending post. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a staffer for the offending post. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
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Facebook Suspends Netanyahu's Page over Hate Speech Against Arabs

Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a staffer for the offending post. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a staffer for the offending post. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Facebook has suspended a chatbot on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official page after it breached hate speech policy by posting a message warning against Arabs who “want to destroy us all”.

Facebook said on Thursday it had suspended the automated chat function on the page, which is run by Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, for 24 hours.

“After careful review of the Likud campaign’s bot activities, we found a violation of our hate speech policy,” Facebook said in a statement.

"We also found that the bot was misusing the platform in the time period allowed to contact people. As a result, we temporarily suspended the bot for 24 hours. Should there be any additional violations, we will continue to take appropriate action," the statement added.

According to AFP, Netanyahu has long faced accusations from critics that he has demonised Israel's 1.4 million Arab citizens with his political rhetoric.

Last week, Netanyahu pushed for last-minute legislation that would allow party officials to bring cameras into polling stations.

Critics said it was a clear attempt to intimidate Israel’s Arab population into not voting

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EU, UN Agree on Importance of Libya Ceasefire

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
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EU, UN Agree on Importance of Libya Ceasefire

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X

The United Nations rights office called on Wednesday for an independent investigation into the discovery of mass graves at detention centers in Libya's capital Tripoli as the European Union Ambassador to Libya said he agreed with the UN that “no effort should be spared to preserve the ceasefire and prevent a return to violence.”

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando said he discussed with Hanna Tetteh, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), “views on our respective outreach to Libyan and international partners.”

He said they discussed “the next steps” in the political process facilitated by UNSMIL, “including how the EU can best support her efforts at this delicate juncture for Libya.”

He “reiterated the EU’s strong backing for her facilitation and commended the renewed sense of urgency she has brought through her consultations.”

Orlando said he “stressed the need for all key actors to engage constructively with UNSMIL and avoid uncoordinated initiatives.”

Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR ) said it was "shocked" by gross human rights violations uncovered at official and unofficial detention facilities in Libya.

OHCHR said the discovery of dozens of bodies and suspected instruments of torture and abuse confirmed longstanding findings by the UN that human rights violations were committed at such sites.

"We call on the Libyan authorities to conduct independent, impartial and transparent investigations into these discoveries," OHCHR said in a statement. It urged the authorities to preserve evidence and grant Libya's forensic teams, as well as the United Nations, full access to the sites.