A regional Twitter policy chief said during a July 29 hearing with the Israeli Knesset that Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s tweets are permissible on the platform because the tweets amount to “foreign policy saber-rattling.”
In a video clip that has since gone viral on social media, Israeli-Jewish Congress Executive Director Arsen Ostrovsky asked Head of Twitter Policy for the Nordics and Israel Ylwa Pettersson, “You have recently started flagging the tweets of President [Donald] Trump. Why have you not flagged the tweets of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, who has literally called for the genocide of Israel and the Jewish people?”
Pettersson replied: “We have an approach to our leaders that presently say that direct actions with fellow public leaders, comments on political issues of the day or foreign policy saber-rattling on military, economic issues are generally not in violation of our rules.”
Blue and White Knesset Member Michal Cotler-Wunsh then asked, “Calling for genocide on Twitter is OK but commenting on political situations in certain countries is not OK?”
Pettersson said in response that if a leader of a country issues a tweet that violates Twitter rules but it’s in the public interest to keep it on the platform, the tweet is hidden behind a notice about the violation but people can click on it to see what the tweet states.
“That is what happened for Trump’s tweet,” Pettersson said. “That tweet was violating our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context on the last line of the tweet and the risk that it could possibly inspire harm and similar actions.”
The Trump tweet Pettersson was referencing was a tweet from June stating, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Ostrovsky tweeted a clip of the exchange, stating: “At Knesset hearing on anti-Semitism, @Twitter rep tells me they flag @realDonaldTrump because it serves ‘public conversation’, but not Iran’s @khamenei_ir call for GENOCIDE, which passes for acceptable ‘commentary on political issues of the day.’ ”
I kid you not! At Knesset hearing on Antisemitism, @Twitter rep tells me they flag @realDonaldTrump because it serves ‘public conversation’, but not Iran's @khamenei_ir call for GENOCIDE, which passes for acceptable 'commentary on political issues of the day'. cc. @CotlerWunsh pic.twitter.com/AXwjkrvlql
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 29, 2020
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted that Pettersson’s remarks serve as a “bonanza for Jew haters.”
“Unnamed morons at @Twitter ok Holocaust-denier Khamenei’s genocidal threats against #Israel as mere saber rattling,” the Jewish group added. “200,000+ missiles target Israel’s heartland, Iranian $$$ for Hezbollah+Hamas.”
Bonanza for Jew-haters as unnamed morons at @Twitter ok Holocaust-denier Khamenei’s genocidal threats against #Israel as mere saber rattling. 200,000+ missiles target Israel’s heartland, Iranian $$$ for Hezbollah+Hamas. https://t.co/36xAtqcStZ via @timesofisrael
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) July 30, 2020
U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer similarly tweeted, “Shame on you @Twitter for turning a blind eye to the Jew-hating poison of Iranian dictator Ayatollah Khamenei. Kudos to Israeli lawmaker Michal Cotler-Wunsh & human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky for exposing your double standards and coddling of anti-Semites.”
Shame on you @Twitter for turning a blind eye to the Jew-hating poison of Iranian dictator Ayatollah Khamenei.
Kudos to Israeli lawmaker Michal Cotler-Wunsh & human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky for exposing your double standards and coddling of antisemites.
Must-see video: ⬇️ https://t.co/0YNLYuwUgb pic.twitter.com/Fzw4Md6nmW
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 30, 2020
The Jerusalem Post compiled some of Khamenei’s past tweets, including a May tweet stating, “The only remedy until the removal of the Zionist regime is firm, armed resistance.” The Post also highlighted a 2014 tweet from Khamenei on how to destroy Israel in nine steps.
The elimination of the Zionist regime does not mean the massacre of the Jewish ppl. The ppl of Palestine should hold a referendum. Any political sys they vote for should govern in all of Palestine. The only remedy until the removal of the Zionist regime is firm, armed resistance.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) May 21, 2020
Why should & how can #Israel be eliminated? Ayatollah Khamenei's answer to 9 key questions.#HandsOffAlAqsa pic.twitter.com/IVPOuNfMQH
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) November 9, 2014
