Most Israelis want online censorship of Gaza war victims: poll

A majority of Israelis want to censor all online content on the Gaza war, including the impact on the enclave's civilian population, a study by a US-based research centre has shown.

A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center published on Monday showed that a staggering 59 percent of Israelis support censoring any display of sympathy for Palestinian victims of the nearly 11-month onslaught on Gaza, compared to 30 percent of those who do not. 

Widespread support among ordinary Israelis for silencing Palestinian voices coincides with inflammatory statements from some Israeli leaders, advocating for the permanent expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the replacement of the population with Israeli settlers.

Israelis are sharply divided on whether posts criticising their government's actions in the war should be censored, the poll showed that half believe such posts should be tampered with while 41 percent disagree. 

Around 69 percent of supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition say that posts criticising the government should be censored while only 39 percent of respondents who say they are against the government agree with injunctions. 

The Israeli government has actively led efforts on what is said to be a crackdown on freedom of speech, spearheaded by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted of inciting racism and supporting a Jewish extremist organisation.  

Despite the highly charged atmosphere following 7 October, which saw crowds chanting "Death to Arabs!" in the streets, none of the 56 indictments for alleged incitement have involved accusations of hate toward Palestinians. 

A task force originally formed by Ben Gvir last year to address "online incitement" has been expanded since Israel’s war on Gaza, according to Mirit Ben Mayor, a spokeswoman for Israeli police.

The police have also been granted new powers to passively monitor online content, which critics say has been used to target Palestinians.

Ben Gvir has been surrounded by settlers who have been engaged in provocations against Palestinians, such as raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The Pew Research Center also reports that Israelis and Palestinian citizens in Israel hold starkly different views on social media posts about the war, particularly those expressing sympathy for civilians in Gaza.  

While 70 percent of Israelis believe such posts should not be allowed, only 18 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel agree. 

Similarly, 55 percent of Israelis think posts criticising the government’s handling of the war should be censored, compared to just 31 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel.  

A majority of Palestinians, 58 percent, believe that posts critical of Israel’s government are acceptable. 

We asked Israelis who use social media and report having posted or shared about political and social issues whether they post or share about the Israel-Hamas war. Just 18% of Israeli adults say they do so with any regularity. https://t.co/CDFBfGRsyP pic.twitter.com/KZejTLprCF

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 27, 2024

Since October, Israeli authorities have detained dozens of Palestinian citizens over social media posts related to the war, including figures like singer Dalal Abu Amneh. 

Rights groups in Israel report that many others have faced disciplinary measures at work or school for online activities. 

Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, notes that the number of detentions is even higher as arrests continue to rise.  

The organisation warns that Palestinian citizens in Israel are being targeted and suppressed because of their identity.  

Adalah also highlighted that within Israeli academic institutions, efforts have been made to label any outward expression of Palestinian identity as "support for terrorism," leading to disciplinary actions against individual students. 

In comparison, during the Gaza conflict in May 2021, only 16 people - 15 of them Palestinians - were charged with inciting violence, according to another Adalah report.

On Wednesday, the territory’s health ministry announced that at least 40,534 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's onslaught of Gaza and 93,778 wounded, with mostly women and children affected. 

According to the UN, 85 percent of Gaza's population - 1.9 million civilians - have been forcibly displaced during Israel's military operations.