Comedian Bassem Youssef deactivates X account over ‘safety issues’ after Gaza posts

Bassem Youssef deactivated his X account on Monday, citing "safety issues" regarding his loved ones for his decision to quit the social media platform.

When it became apparent that Youssef's account had seemingly vanished without explanation, his fans accused X of "censoring" the Egyptian-American comedian for his outspoken pro-Palestine views.

Supporters posted a screenshot of Youssef’s final tweet, which slammed the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism and the targeting of pro-Palestine advocates. 

"Antisemitism was an accusation that used to freeze the blood on people's veins. I see many people now realizing how this fear tactic is used to shut down conversations and scare people," Youssef reportedly wrote on X, where he had a following of over 11 million.

"It's been overused and abused in order to intimidate people. Are you still scared to be called an antisemite by those Zionists? Vote and tell me in the comments. No, I don't give a shit anymore. Or: Yes, I am still scared." 

Shortly after tweeting this, Youssef's account disappeared, with users assuming that his account had been removed due to a perceived pro-Israel bias regarding accounts on the social media platform owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has repeatedly stated his commitment to free speech.

"Bassem Youssef’s @X account has been taken down! Where is the freedom of speech Elon Musk?" Yemeni journalist Ahmad Algohbary wrote in a post. 

However, Youssef took to Instagram later on Monday to clarify that he deleted his account voluntarily.

"No, my X account wasn't taken down by X and I don't wish to falsely victimize myself using this." he wrote. 

"When safety issues concerning my loved ones are alleviated I might consider coming back. I wish to deal with this away from media," he added.

Youssef did not elaborate on what exactly led to his decision to quit the site.

Bassem Youssef’s last tweet before his account got suspended.https://t.co/iFjknvf0Zr https://t.co/EjnOan05qi pic.twitter.com/vkjj7HdQlC

— Ala’a (@byAlaaS) August 19, 2024

The Egyptian had issued an earlier statement addressing his X account's disappearance that strongly suggests that a backlash to his pro-Palestine activism played some role in his decision.

"How to know you are pissing off Zionists? When they are crying, whining and bitching on your timeline and all they can do is cry wolf... AKA use the word antisemitic for everything because they have nothing else to say," he wrote.

"Go guilt trip someone else. Your methods are getting old and boring."

Hailed as one of the most influential MENA public figures in the world, Youssef has also been known for his campaign for Palestinian rights, particularly following Israel’s military offensive on Gaza that has killed over 40,000 Palestinians since 7 October. 

Youssef garnered further traction amid his outspoken critiques of Israeli policies towards Palestinians after his viral appearance on Piers Morgan's show last October. 

The New Arab has approached Youssef and X for comment. 

This article was updated on August 20, 2024 at 20:30 GMT to correct an earlier report that implied X had deleted Youssef's account.