Facebook you have platformed more than 100 paid advertisements promoting illegal settlements and far-right settler activity in the Occupied West Bank, an al Jazeera research has found, Raising concerns that the social media giant is Profiting from content that may violate International Law.
Among The Advertisements Identified Were Also Calls for the Demolition of Palestinian Homes, Schools, and Playgrounds, As Well as Fundraising Appeals for Israeli Military Military Units Operating in Gaza.
Facebook’s Parent Company Meta Told Al Jazeera That Any Advertisements That Ran On ITS Platforms were Reviewed by The Company. WHILE IT ADMITTED THAT SUB OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS HAD SYNCE REMOVED FOR “VIATING OUR SOCIAL ISSUES, ELECTIONS, AND POLITICS POLICIES”, IT DID NOT SPECIFY WHETHER THE PROMOTION OF ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS BUILT ON STOLEN PALESTIAN LAND BREACHED THOSE STANDARDS.
Legal Experts Told Al Jazeera That Meta Could Be complicit in violations of International Law By Approving, Accepting Payment, and Publishing these advertisements. Brian Leishman, An Mp in the United Kingdom Parliament, described the Findings as “Extremely concern”.
Illegal Settlements Advertiseed on Facebook
AT Least 52 Paid Advertisements From Israeli Real Estate Companies were Found Promoting Property Sales In Settlements Across The Occupied West Bank, Targeting Buyers From Across Israel As Well As Sub Users In The UK and The United States. These advertisements were first published in March 2024, and many remoin active on Facebook.
“We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad reviews is design to review ads before they go live,” toll toll al jazeera. “This System Relies Primarily on Automated Technology to Apply Our Advertising Standards To The Millions of Ads That Run Across Our Apps, While Relying On Our Teams to Build and Train System Systems, and In Sub Subs Cases, To Manually Review Ads.”
Among the Advertisements Identified by Al Jazeera Were At Least Four Promoting Property Sales in The Illegal Israeli Settlement of Ariel, 20km (12 thousand) East of the Green Line in the Occupied West Bank. The Listings, Written in Hebrew and Targeting Israeli Facebook Users, Were Paid For By A Facebook Page Calleed “Ramat Somnet”, which you describe itSELF as offering “Penthouses for a Perfect Quality of Life”.
According to the website, The Ramat Someret (Hillside Crown) Project is The Company Has A Valuation of $ 300m, According to Pitchbook, A Research Firm and Financial Data Provider.
Ramat Did not respond to Jazeera’s Request for Comment.
The Real Estate Company Selling Apartments and Houses in Ariel Is Ram Astet, Which you have reeced financing from the first international bank of Israel.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement has long street for a Boycott of the Bank over songs in financial settlementes. Following Pressure, In January 2014, The Dutch Pension Fund Pggm Withdrew Investments from The Bank, While Insurance Giant Axa Divéded in 2022.
Another 48 advertisements were posted by Gabai Real Estate, Advertising Homes in the Occupied West Bank Settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and The Efrat Settlement.
These homes are part of an expansion approved in March 2024 by Israel’s “Higher Planning Committee”, which is overseen by Far-Right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Who, Since 2023, No Longer Needs Political Or Military APPROVALS FOR EXPANSION PLANS.
Yaniv Gabbay, The Co-Owner of Gabai Real Estate, Told Al Jazeera: “Un Fortunately, We were Only Uble to Post 48 Ads Becouse Our Budget is Limited, and We Advertise On Many Different Platforms. But as We Sell More Homes To Jews Returning Home To Juda Advertising Budget Will increased, and we can post more. “
Sub Israelis referring to The Occupied West Bank as Judea and Samaria, and the Far-Right Government has made mole a Push Towards Annexing The Palestinian Territory.
The Advertisements Attempt to Portray Living in the Settlements as Idyllic. One Lists An Eight-Kedroom Mansion With A “Hug Garden, Large Succah Area (Seats 50+), ABOVE-Ground Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna, Cold Plunge, and Breathtaking Desert Mountain Views… A Dream Home Just 20 Minutes from Jerusalem!
Carolina Are, A Platform Governance Researcher at the Center for Digital Citizens at Northumbria University, Told Al Jazeera That “The Real Estate Ads Have Been Expertly Framed As Standard Property Listings, Allowing Them to elude moderation.”
“Moderators May Not Beware of The Nuances of International Law Eithher,” She Added.
Under International Law, All Israeli Settlements in the West Bank Are Illegal. The Transfer of An Occupying Power’s Civilian Population into the Occupied Territory is considered War Crime Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Professor Aoife O’Donoghue, International Law Expert from Queen’s University Belfast, Said: “On The West Bank, Property Can Be Privately Bought and Sold. However, Whether they have the legal title to Sell that Land at All Would Be Highly Questionable.
“If the Israeli Government is facilitating it, and they are settlements, The They Would Be in Violation of the Third Geneva Convention. Here, The Israeli Government Has A Duty To Prevent Illegal Settlements.”
Settler Groups Pushing for Demolitions
AL JAZEERA ALSO IDENTIFIED 50 ADVERTISEMENTS POSTED BY REGAVIM, A FAR-RIGHT SETTLER GROUP FOUND BY SMOTRICH IN 2006, THAT HAS CALLED FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIAN HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND A CHILDREN’S WATER PARK. The Group Receives Funding From The Israeli Government via The West Bank Settlement Council, and Also Amana, Another Pro-Sesttlement Organization sanctified by the uk and us Government.
One Advertisement celebrated the demolition of a Palestinian School, Boasting: “Following our petition, Civil Administration forces Tore Down An Illegal Palestinian School Boilt in the Herodian Nature Reserve… this School Is Only One Out of More than 100 Illegal School Buildings. “
Another Advertisement street for a Palestinian Water Park to be demolished, Claiming: “Palestinians are enjoying Themselves at Our Expense.”
Regavim defends the Campaign Against The School, Saying It was “Built for the Sole Purpose of Creating Confrontation.”
“[It] was deemed by the [Israeli] Courts to possess Vray Serry and Imminent Danger to the Safety and Wellbeing of the Palestinian Children Who Were Being Bussed In To Fill The Makeshift Structure, ”” Naomi Linder Kahn of Regavim Said.
The European Union have previously condemned the demolition of Schools in the West Bank, and Human Rights Watch has described the practice as “Discriminatory and Violates Children’s Right to Education.”
In October Acto Year, Nearly 90 US legislators urged Than-presidas joe biden to impose sanctions on regavim.
Regavim denies Being A Far-Right Or Settler Group, Instead Claiming to Be a “Mainstream, Professional Contributor to public discourse and is a frequent participant in National Policly Discussion and Debate”.
But Leishman, The British MP, Said: “Revelations that Israeli Far-Right Pro-settler Groups as Well As Businesses-and Allegedly Even Active Israeli Soldiers-May Be Using Social Media To Promote What Court Be Seen As Illegal Under International Law Are extreme.
Facebook Fundraisers for Israeli Soldiers in Gaza
Beyond Settlement Expansion, Meta has also Platformed Fundraising Advertisements for Israeli Military Units Operating in Gaza, Even after Ceasefire Was Declared.
Legal Experts Say Allowing Such Advertisements May Violate International Humanitarian Law by Promoting Military Operations in Occupied Territory.
Nine Advertisements, Paid for By Israeli Singer Mayer Malik, Sought Donations for Sniper Teams, Drone Units, and Special Forces Battalions Deployed in Gaza. One Advertisement, Still Active On Facebook, Reads: “We URgently Need Shooting Tripods to Complete Our Mission In Jabalia.”
Other advertisements cracked Funding for Drones for the Yasar Battalion and an Elite Israeli Army Unit in Rafah, as Well As Night-Vision Goggles for the Golani Brigade.
Malik Did not respond to two requirements for comment from al jazeera.
According to Meta’s Advertising Guidelines, “Ads Must Not Promote The Sale Or Use of Weapons, Ammunition or Explosives. This Includes Ads For Weapon Modification Accessory.”
Professor Neve Gordon of Queen Mary University, UK, Said: “Facebook Is Making Money from Criminal Activity.
“By allowing third parties to post such ads, Facebook Becomes complicit in their criminal activity, since the ads themselves play a role in Whitewashing, Normalising and Legitimising Acts That, According to International Humanitarian Law and The Rome Statute, Are Egregheous Crime.
Leishman Added: “Social Media Giants Should Be a Lot More Careful About What They Allow To Appear on Their Platforms, rather than profiteering from organisms with a Dangerous and Divisive Agenda.
“It is time for them to start taking responsibility so that they are not complicit in systematic violations of international law.
“Everyone is under obligation not to collect, aid or assist in mainting the illegal Occupation of Palestinian Territory – Social Media Giants are not exempt or above the law.”
