KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government said Monday it had met with Meta representatives to demand an apology and explanation as to why posts about the death of a Hamas leader were removed from the prime minister’s social media accounts.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office said his posts on Facebook and Instagram about Ismail Haniyeh’s death had been removed last week by parent company Meta.
The political leader of Palestinian armed group Hamas was killed in Tehran on Wednesday, in an attack blamed on Israel, which has not directly commented on it.
Anwar’s posts included a video showing the premier on a phone call with a Hamas official, offering his condolences.
On Instagram, there was a note by Meta, shared by Anwar, that the posts were taken down because of association with “dangerous individuals and organizations.”
Israel, the United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
In a statement on Monday, the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said it “views Meta’s actions as discriminatory, unjust, and a blatant suppression of free expression.”
“It is also seen as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of justice and human rights.”
The PMO said it was demanding a public apology and a detailed explanation from Meta.
Anwar accused the tech giant of “cowardice” last week for removing his posts.
Malaysian authorities have previously chided Meta for removing posts as well as for not taking down what officials deemed as harmful content fast enough.
Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Last year, Human Rights Watch said “Meta’s policies and practices were silencing voices in support of Palestine and Palestinian human rights on Instagram and Facebook.”
Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has defended Malaysia’s ties with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, which launched a deadly attack against Israel on October 7 that triggered the war in Gaza.
Anwar stressed during a visit to Germany in March that Malaysia’s links were with Hamas’s political wing and not with its military arm.
Malaysia summons Meta over removed PM posts about Hamas leader
https://arab.news/y4a74
Malaysia summons Meta over removed PM posts about Hamas leader
- Anwar’s posts included a video showing the premier on a phone call with a Hamas official, offering his condolences
Netanyahu demands Western governments fight antisemitism
- A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Western countries to step up their fight against antisemitism and protect Jewish communities, two days after a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish event in Sydney.
“I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide,” Netanyahu said in a video address on Tuesday.
“They would do well to heed our warnings. I demand action — now,” he added.
A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
The Australian authorities said the attack was antisemitic, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appeared to be “motivated by Islamic State ideology,” referring to the jihadist group that swept through Iraq and Syria more than a decade ago.
On Sunday, Netanyahu accused Canberra of having fueled antisemitism in the period leading up to the shooting.
“A few months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism,” he said, referring to a letter he sent to Albanese in August following Canberra’s announcement that it would recognize Palestinian statehood.
“Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent,” Netanyahu added during a televised public address at an event in southern Israel.
His words were echoed by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who urged Canberra to act against the “surge” in antisemitism during a phone call with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on Sunday.
