The Lech Jerusalem organization and the research division of the If You Will movement have uncovered a branching Palestinian communications network called Jerusalem Square, which operates from the city and deals daily with reporting on terrorist operatives who were killed or injured while working against the "occupation forces."
The page expresses support for these activists, glorifies them and runs campaigns for their release.
In a series of publications, the network also expresses consistent sympathy with Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement (outlawed) who is imprisoned for inciting terrorism and apparently the one behind the operation of the page.
A team of investigators from the organizations first encountered the activities of this network as part of publications about terrorists who posted on the Facebook Square Jerusalem Midan Khaledas.
The page has over a million followers, and frequently posts appear in favor of imprisoned and martyred terrorists.
There are 84,000 followers on the Instagram page.
Facebook page with over a million followers, screenshot
This is how the network (which was established in 2020) describes itself on the website: "A Jerusalem news network, which keeps pace with events, and transmits the hot news when they occur. From the field of the event. From the heart of the city of Jerusalem, be with you all the time, The network was launched in mid-2020, and within a year became one of the hottest networks and coverage events in Jerusalem, and the Facebook page reached more than one million and 100,000 followers in a short period of time. "
"Stay in constant contact with us to receive the latest news about our first Kabbalah, the eternal capital of Palestine, and the journey of our beloved Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace."
Investigators of Jerusalem and the If You Will movement have found a number of inciting publications in which the glorification of martyrs and imprisoned terrorists, all from the last few weeks, and contacted Facebook in reports on the page and the posts.
Despite the reports, Facebook has refused to remove the page claiming they are not violating their community rules.
We have collected a number of selected posts that clarify what type of "communication body" this is about:
1
.
On 8/17/2021, a post was posted on the Facebook page about the Silwan Squad, which was responsible for the attacks at Cafe Moment, the Hebrew University, the Sheffield Club in Rishon Lezion (mostly carried out in 2002) as well as attempts to carry out attacks and bury explosive devices in strategic infrastructure.
The post calls for their release.
https://www.facebook.com/112846066928726/posts/419051902974806
Silwan Squad: Responsible for the attack on Cafe Moment in Jerusalem, screenshot
translating:
Four Jerusalem prisoners from the Ein Alloza neighborhood of Jerusalem in Sloan, from what is known as the Sloan cell that opposed the occupation (in Arabic - Kaum - from the word Makuma, violent resistance) and classified as the most dangerous cell for the occupation in 2002.
2
.
In another post from 31.8, the network posted a Facebook interview with the sons of the terrorist Paddy Kenbar, who carried out the car bomb attack at the Commissioner's Palace:
https://fb.watch/7L3GUHJtfa
Translation: "I miss Dad very much. I want to see him and say goodbye to him. The martyr family Paddy Canber has been waiting for 4 years for the body of their son that the occupation holds alongside the bodies of other martyrs"
3
.
Post from 12.8 about terrorists who were involved in the murder of Nachshon Waxman
https://www.facebook.com/112846066928726/posts/415713209975342
"Today marks the 27th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Jerusalemites Tarek Abu Arafa and Ra'ab 'Abdin who were killed after an armed struggle in the town of a-Ram with the occupying forces. In the afterlife".
Members of the cell that abducted and murdered Nachshon Waxman, screenshot
4
.
Another post from 31.8 for the return of a terrorist's body
https://www.facebook.com/112846066928726/posts/427840468762616
Poster for Shahar Abu Khadija - the terrorist from Kfar Aqab who carried out the car bomb attack on Shimon the Tzaddik and his body is being held by the state.
The terrorist from Kfar Akev who was responsible for a car bomb attack in Jerusalem, screenshot
Comments:
Chairman of Lech Jerusalem Maor Tzemach:
'' Terrorist and incitement organizations are exploiting social networks to glorify terrorists and terrorist attacks.
We demand that Facebook and Twitter immediately remove the incitement pages of the 'Jerusalem Square' chain.
In addition, Minister of Public Works Amar Bar-Lev is requested to immediately issue a closure order and immediate removal from Jerusalem to the Jerusalem Square chain affiliated with the Hamas organization.
Chairman if you would like to provide a stream:
"Under our noses, a communications network has been set up that is basically a ticking bomb.
All of these certainly justify the immediate removal of the Facebook page, but despite our complaints to Facebook, the page has not been removed.
I call on the Israel Police to act within the fastest and most effective legal framework to prevent the further incitement that is taking place on Facebook and Instagram on the 'Jerusalem Square' page.
If Facebook and Instagram do not remove the page, the police will have to protect Israeli citizens.
"Every day that this page exists, every day that the offices of this communications network exist, this is a serious danger to the citizens of Israel."
MK Simcha Rotman:
"We must not accept a reality in which Facebook blocks right-wing people in the morning, while a Facebook page glorifying terrorists and inciting more than a million followers to violence, murder and terrorism against Jews operates unhindered. .
"In addition, it is not clear the inaction of the cyber department of the State Attorney's Office, which allows for the existence of such a Facebook page and does not exhaust the law with the people behind it."
Chairman of Religious Zionism MK Bezalel Smutrich:
"There is no room for incitement to murder on social media. When Facebook wants, they know how to block.
A few weeks ago, I contacted the Facebook management to report pages praising terrorist operatives, the pages were temporarily blocked. I call on Facebook to block terrorist support pages and stop the terrible incitement against Israeli citizens."