Facebook Again Slaps Netanyahu for Policy Violation

Facebook on Monday removed a post published by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and suspended the prime minister’s Messenger account after Netanyahu violated the website’s privacy policy and asked his followers to send him their relatives’ medical information. “If you know someone over the age of 60 who has yet to be vaccinated, write me their name and number and maybe I’ll call and convince them!” the automated message sent to Netanyahu’s followers read. In response to the social network’s punishment, the prime minister explained that he was “only trying to encourage people to get vaccinated.” Israel is the world leader in per capita coronavirus inoculations, with close to a third of the country receiving at least the first of two shots. This isn’t the first time Netanyahu’s Facebook page was penalized; during the 2019 election, his account was temporarily suspended for hate speech after a message sent to his supporters urged them to vote Likud to ensure victory over “a secular left-wing weak government that relies on Arabs who want to destroy us all – women, children and men.”