ISTANBUL

Lebanese activist Mohamad Safa accused social media platforms of censoring pro-Palestine content at the behest of the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

Safa, who is chairman of the board of Patriotic Vision (PVA), a non-governmental organization operating under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and its representative to the world body, told Anadolu that those supporting Palestine against Israeli attacks are accused of being "antisemitic" and subjected to pressure through threats.

He emphasized that no humanitarian or moral justifications can be provided for the Israeli attacks, citing the devastating toll on Gaza's population in the past three months.

“It has been almost three months of hell in Gaza. Five percent of Gaza's population is now dead, wounded or missing. More than 30,000 Palestinians killed, 12,000 children, 6,000 women, 130 UN aid workers, and 105 journalists. Nothing justifies killing over 12,000 children. Nothing. Not self-defense. Not human shields. Nothing,” said Safa.

He underscored the role of social media platforms in shaping public opinion about the conflict, acknowledging positive and negative effects.

“But the double standards in their algorithms allowed for a more diverse range of voices to be heard from one side, they have also contributed to the spread of misinformation and propaganda,” he said. “As it has constantly closed accounts of Palestinian publications, shut down dozens of pro-Palestinian activist’s accounts bowing down to the Israeli Strategic Affairs Ministry silencing campaign targeting pro-Palestinian voices.”

"Being against Israel's war crimes is not antisemitism," said Safa. “We must have free speech; people must be able to raise their voices in solidarity with any oppressed group or any occupied group. Double standards that call for free speech for some but censorship for others must end,” he added.

Addressing the use of antisemitism accusations as a weapon against activists, Safa urged the protection of voices critical of Israel's actions.

“According to the Torah, you cannot commit such war crimes. According to the Declaration of Human Rights, you cannot do that. According to international humanitarian law, you cannot do that. So, at this point, it is not about anti-Semitism, you are either pro-humanity or pro-genocide, there is no in-between,” said Safa.

“I want to say strong words in defense of journalists, students, workers, and other critical voices, who are dealing with oppression, threats, and censorship to protect their careers and interests. Do not be afraid to speak the truth, speaking up for things that align with your values does not ruin your career, it clears the way for you to have an ethical one.”

Safa shared personal experiences of receiving death threats and facing increased surveillance due to his activism.

“I received death threats to me and my family from official Twitter accounts from government agencies and phone calls. Even in my personal social life, my movements on the roads became more difficult, and I even experienced surveillance from unknown people after I was recognized on the street,” he said.

“No one is able to protect us. I even reported this to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, as PVA’s main representative of the United Nations and as UN-accredited activist, but so far, she has not responded.”

Safa said he, like many others, was subjected to restrictions because he announced on social media that Israel was committing human rights violations and war crimes,

“My social media accounts have been and are still being restricted and censored for exposing Israel's violation of international law and human rights law, many followers were sending messages and comments that they were removed from my following list without being unfollowing me, some reported that they cannot follow, like, share or comment, and other reported that they cannot subscribe to my accounts,” he said.

Safa explained that blocking attempts were not only on social media but he received death threats for supporting Palestine, despite being a UN representative and a UN-accredited human rights activist.

“I received death threats to me and my family from official Twitter accounts from government agencies and phone calls. Even in my personal social life, my movements on the roads became more difficult, and I even experienced surveillance from unknown people after I was recognized on the street,” he said. “No one is able to protect us. I even reported this to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, as PVA main representative of the United Nations and as UN-accredited activist, but so far, she has not responded.”

He credited brave journalists in Palestine and Lebanon, along with social media platforms, for allowing users to share first-hand accounts and facts about events on the ground.

“All the media propaganda that controlled the minds and hearts of the West has fallen, thanks to the brave journalists in Palestine and Lebanon and of course the social media platforms, where people used to watch TV news and read newspapers, 90% of which are politicized,” said Safa.

“Now every human being is a journalist on social media and can share the facts about everything that is happening on the ground,” he said.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan