Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a September 1 tweet for making a deal with “Zionist agents,” prompting Twitter users to call for Twitter to take action.
The tweet reads in full: “The nation of Palestine is under various, severe pressures. Then, the UAE acts in agreement with the Israelis & filthy Zionist agents of the U.S. —such as the Jewish member of Trump’s family— with utmost cruelty against the interests of the World of Islam.”
The nation of Palestine is under various, severe pressures. Then, the UAE acts in agreement with the Israelis & filthy Zionist agents of the U.S. —such as the Jewish member of Trump’s family— with utmost cruelty against the interests of the World of Islam.#UAEStabsMuslims
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 1, 2020
Various Twitter users condemned Khamenei’s tweet as anti-Semitic and argued that the tweet violated Twitter’s terms of service. “This anti-Semitism from a world leader would seem to violate the twitter guidelines,” CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted.
This anti-Semitism from a world leader would seem to violate the twitter guidelines. https://t.co/hSygv5XRIY
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 1, 2020
International human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky also tweeted, “This is sickening and vile Antisemitism & incitement from Iran’s @khamenei_ir. @Twitter has no hesitation flagging @realDonaldTrump, but I must have missed them doing anything about this filth.”
This is sickening and vile Antisemitism & incitement from Iran’s @khamenei_ir. @Twitter has no hesitation flagging @realDonaldTrump, but I must have missed them doing anything about this filth, hey @jack @Policy?
cc. @RichardGrenell @benshapiro @DonaldJTrumpJr @elliecohanim https://t.co/1kDIQxyZsR
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) September 1, 2020
Philanthropist Adam Milstein asked Twitter if “apparently ‘filthy Zionists’ and the ‘Jewish member of Trump’s family’ is ok with your terms of use?”
https://twitter.com/AdamMilstein/status/1300795011794112512?s=20
Twitter did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.
In July, Ostrovsky asked head of Twitter policy for the Nordics and Israel Ylwa Pettersson in a Knesset hearing why Twitter has been flagging President Donald Trump’s tweets but not Khamenei’s. 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.”
