Israel Cracks Down on Pro-Palestine Posts on Meta

Internal data obtained from Meta by Drop Site News reveals that the Israeli government launched a widespread crackdown on Instagram and Facebook posts that criticize Israel or show support for Palestinians.

Israel Launches Massive Crackdown on Meta Apps to Remove Pro-Palestine Content

Drop Site News obtained data from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, showing that the Israeli government directly orchestrated a sweeping crackdown on posts that criticize Israel or express even vague support for Palestinians.

The data reveals that Meta has complied with 94% of takedown requests submitted by Israel since October 7, 2023. 

According to Drop Site News, Israel has become the world’s leading source of takedown requests, prompting Meta to broaden its automatic content removals. The website described this collaboration as potentially the largest mass censorship operation in modern history.

Drop Site News investigation cited insiders at Meta who noted how government takedown requests typically target content posted by users within that government’s borders. What sets the Israeli campaign apart, as per the report, is “its success in censoring speech in many countries outside of Israel.”

Sources also told the outlet that Israel’s censorship efforts are expected to persist. Meta’s AI system, currently being trained to handle content moderation, is set to rely on past takedowns of posts critical of Israel’s actions. This includes posts describing Israel's war on Gaza as genocide.

The data, shared with Drop Site News by whistleblowers, provides a rare look inside Meta’s “Integrity Organization,” the internal unit responsible for overseeing safety and trust across its platforms.

Takedown Requests (TDRs) enable individuals, institutions, and government authorities to request the removal of content they claim violates Meta’s policies.

Citing internal documents, 95% of Israel’s requests fall under Meta’s categories of “terrorism” or “violence and incitement.”

These requests largely targeted users in Arab and Muslim-majority countries, forming what appears to be a coordinated campaign to suppress criticism of the Israeli occupation.

Multiple independent sources inside Meta confirmed the accuracy of the whistleblowers’ claims to Drop Site News. 

The leaked data also show that Meta removed over 90,000 posts at Israel’s request, often complying with temporary takedown orders in as little as 30 seconds.

Since October 7, 2023, Meta has ramped up its use of automated content removals, targeting an estimated 38.8 million additional posts on Facebook and Instagram.

How Meta Removes Pro-Palestine Content Flagged by Israel

Regular users report posts, and AI models initially flag them as either violating or non-violating. Human moderators review some of these posts. 

When the AI detects a high-confidence violation, it removes the post automatically. In low-confidence cases, human moderators review and decide whether to take action.

Governments and organizations, however, have privileged channels that prioritize their reports for human review. These reports are more likely to result in content removal.

Meta notably complied with Israel’s takedown requests, often removing posts without human review and feeding the data into its AI system.

A Human Rights Watch report released in December 2023 found that, of 1,050 suppressed or removed posts on Facebook and Instagram, nearly all 1,049 were peaceful pro-Palestinian content, with only one post supporting Israel.

Internal Meta sources said leadership prioritized overenforcement to avoid letting violating content remain on the platform.

Meta Employees Maintain Close Ties to the Israeli Government

Several senior figures within Meta hold close ties to the Israeli government, influencing content moderation decisions, especially around pro-Palestinian content, according to the investigation.

Guy Rosen, head of Meta’s Integrity Organization, previously served in the Israeli military’s Unit 8200, a signals intelligence division. He also founded Onavo, a VPN and analytics company acquired by Facebook in 2013.

Rosen’s division enforces content policy, working in tandem with Meta’s Policy Organization, which sets the platform’s rules.

As of 2024, Joel Kaplan, a former Bush administration official with known collaboration with Israeli authorities on tackling so-called “online incitement,” replaced Nick Clegg as head of the Policy Organization.

Jordana Cutler, Meta’s Director of Public Policy for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, reportedly used her influence to target pro-Palestinian content.

Formerly a senior advisor to PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Cutler personally flagged content for removal, most notably any content referencing Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani.

Israeli Government Directs Censorship Abroad

According to Human Rights Watch, users in more than 60 countries have reported censorship of Palestine-related content since October 7, 2023.

These actions include post removals, account suspensions, and shadow banning that reduces content visibility.

On the other hand, only 1.3% of Israel’s takedown requests target Israeli users.

While most governments focus on censorship of their citizens, Israel directs its efforts outward. Its censorship campaign primarily targets international users who criticize its policies or share narratives related to the ongoing war in Gaza and the West Bank.

Despite knowing about Israel’s aggressive censorship tactics for several years, Meta has taken no effective steps to limit the abuse, according to Drop Site.

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