by Robert Inlakesh
Part 2 - State-Backed Censorship
It is well-documented that former members of Israel’s elite military intelligence Unit 8200 have, for years, secured prominent roles within major tech companies, including X, Meta, Google, and Microsoft. Despite this infiltration of influential platforms, spaces critical of Israel have continued to emerge online.
One such platform is TikTok, which has become a prominent hub for pro-Palestine content, particularly among younger audiences. The app’s format has allowed young users to amplify voices critical of Israeli policies, making it a significant source of counter-narratives and grassroots activism.
Leaked audio from Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), revealed his explicit concern over what he described as a “major TikTok problem.” The platform’s proliferation of pro-Palestine content has clearly unsettled those advocating for stricter censorship of online spaces critical of Israel.
In response, the Washington-based Atlantic Council attempted to dismiss the Israeli lobby’s efforts to censor TikTok as a “Tehran-cooked conspiracy theory.” However, the motivations of pro-Israeli U.S. Congress members supporting legislation to ban TikTok were thinly veiled. Their actions, coupled with Zionist organizations openly celebrating the move, made clear the political intent behind targeting the platform.
Pro-Israel policing of public discourse has not just been relegated to the United States. Founded in Israel in 2002, NGO Monitor is an organization focused on scrutinizing and discrediting pro-Palestinian charitable and advocacy groups. It employs tactics similar to those used by the Israeli government to label six prominent Palestinian rights organizations as “terrorist organizations.” These accusations claim links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and Canada.
A formal complaint was recently lodged with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) concerning the activities of NGO Monitor. Although not registered as a charitable organization in Canada, NGO Monitor has received over $900,000 in Canadian tax-receipted donations since 2020. These funds were funneled through the Foundation for Public Policy Development and Canada Charity Partners.
One such platform is TikTok, which has become a prominent hub for pro-Palestine content, particularly among younger audiences. The app’s format has allowed young users to amplify voices critical of Israeli policies, making it a significant source of counter-narratives and grassroots activism.
Leaked audio from Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), revealed his explicit concern over what he described as a “major TikTok problem.” The platform’s proliferation of pro-Palestine content has clearly unsettled those advocating for stricter censorship of online spaces critical of Israel.
In response, the Washington-based Atlantic Council attempted to dismiss the Israeli lobby’s efforts to censor TikTok as a “Tehran-cooked conspiracy theory.” However, the motivations of pro-Israeli U.S. Congress members supporting legislation to ban TikTok were thinly veiled. Their actions, coupled with Zionist organizations openly celebrating the move, made clear the political intent behind targeting the platform.
Pro-Israel policing of public discourse has not just been relegated to the United States. Founded in Israel in 2002, NGO Monitor is an organization focused on scrutinizing and discrediting pro-Palestinian charitable and advocacy groups. It employs tactics similar to those used by the Israeli government to label six prominent Palestinian rights organizations as “terrorist organizations.” These accusations claim links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and Canada.
A formal complaint was recently lodged with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) concerning the activities of NGO Monitor. Although not registered as a charitable organization in Canada, NGO Monitor has received over $900,000 in Canadian tax-receipted donations since 2020. These funds were funneled through the Foundation for Public Policy Development and Canada Charity Partners.
In 2021, when Tel Aviv presented a 74-page document alleging connections between Palestinian rights groups and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), it failed to persuade even Israel’s staunchest European allies of its claims. However, NGO Monitor has seemingly achieved greater success in its campaigns targeting pro-Palestinian organizations.
The group played a significant role in lobbying efforts that led to the U.S. and Canadian governments designating Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network as a terrorist organization, a move critics say is little more than a politically motivated attempt to silence pro-Palestinian advocacy and humanitarian efforts while undermining free speech on behalf of Israel.
The group played a significant role in lobbying efforts that led to the U.S. and Canadian governments designating Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network as a terrorist organization, a move critics say is little more than a politically motivated attempt to silence pro-Palestinian advocacy and humanitarian efforts while undermining free speech on behalf of Israel.
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