Israel charges 4 Palestinians with incitement on Facebook

Israeli Public Prosecution yesterday indicted four Palestinians from Jerusalem with incitement on Facebook, Quds Press reported.

The Israeli general radio said that the four Palestinians are from Shuafat refugee camp and Sur Baher in the outskirts of occupied Jerusalem.

“All of them were indicted of inciting violence and terrorism on Facebook, as well as supporting a terrorist organisation,” Israeli radio reported.

Though it is not clear when the four were arrested, the Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem has previously requested the Public Prosecution extend their detention pending the completion of the judicial procedures.

In the past year, Israel has detained scores of Palestinians, including journalists, for social media activity, alleging that a wave of unrest that swept the occupied Palestinian territory since October 2015 was encouraged largely by “incitement”.

Palestinians have instead pointed chiefly to the frustration and despair brought on by Israel’s nearly 50-year military occupation of the Palestinian territory and the absence of a political horizon.