Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is currently under scrutiny for removing an episode of “Peace Talk,” a podcast dedicated to Jewish-Muslim coexistence, citing violation of its community guidelines on “dangerous individuals and organizations.”
As reported by The Telegraph, the episode, addressing the October 7 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, featured diverse opinions opposing Hamas, identified as a terrorist organization in several countries. Its content included an examination of the Hamas charter and its worldwide call for “jihad” through acts of “solidarity.”
The podcast is co-hosted by Jonathan Sacerdoti, a British Jewish journalist, and Moataz Khalil, a Muslim Egyptian journalist. Their latest episode, shared on YouTube, Spotify, and Facebook, was promptly removed from Facebook.
The removal notice indicated a breach of policies against promoting or supporting dangerous individuals or groups.
The episode featured guests like Professor Kobi Michael from the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and Fatema Al Harbi, a Bahraini EU Peace Ambassador. These guests contributed to the show’s focus on challenging extremist ideologies but promoting dialogue in the Middle East.
Sacerdoti, an advocate for Holocaust education and coexistence, alongside Khalil, criticized Facebook’s decision as overly restrictive and indiscriminate. Sacerdoti, with extensive experience in Middle Eastern reporting, expressed shock at the censorship of their podcast, which aims to voice opposition to Islamism, extremism, and terrorism. He encouraged audiences to access the podcast on other platforms to bypass Meta’s censorship.
