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YouTube Rules Not to Remove Anti-Hamas, Israeli Song Despite Protests From Pro-Palestinian Activists, Employees
Israeli rap duo Ness Ve Stilla. Photo: YouTube screenshot
Decision-makers at YouTube have decided not to remove from the popular video platform a Hebrew-language rap song that expresses support for Israel’s ongoing military campaign targeting Hamas terrorists controlling the Gaza Strip, despite backlash from pro-Palestinian activists, WIRED magazine reported on Tuesday.
Following the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, the Israeli rap duo Ness Ve Stilla released a song titled “Harbu Darbu,” which is derived from Syrian Arabic and in Hebrew slang refers to unleashing hell on one’s enemies. In the song, the rappers attack Hamas and call out some celebrities who have expressed support for the terrorist group or condemned Israel, including model Bella Hadid, singer Dua Lipa, and former Playboy model Mia Khalifa. All three women have accused Israel of “genocide” since the Oct. 7 attack.
Ness Ve Stilla also call for revenge against Hamas and the fellow Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. The rappers name Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and top Hamas officials Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, saying, “Every dog’s day will come.”
“Everyone who planned, everyone who supported, everyone who carried out, everyone who murdered, every bad person gets his punishment in the end,” they rap in the song. “We brought the whole army on you and I swear there will be no forgiveness … One, two, shoot.” They also describe Hamas supporters as the “Children of Amalek,” which is a reference to the ancient biblical tribe that tried to destroy the Israelites. “Amalek” has been used throughout history to describe Israel’s enemies.
The music video for “Harbu Darbu” has garnered over 25 million views on YouTube.
Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters, including YouTube employees, have criticized “Harbu Darbu,” claiming it incites “genocide,” violence, and hatred against all Palestinians and should be considered hate speech. They have also argued it could be removed for violating YouTube’s harassment policies. However, YouTube has allowed the song to remain on its website.
Management at the popular video platform concluded that the song’s lyrics target Hamas, not all Palestinians, and that as a US-designed terrorist organization, Hamas can be subject to hate speech on YouTube without violating the website’s policies, sources with knowledge about content moderation at YouTube told WIRED magazine. YouTube executives also reportedly determined that the song’s targeting of Hadid, Lipa, and Khalifa does not constitute harassment.
The publication further reported that YouTube’s trust and safety team consulted with executives and reviewed interpretations by experts of the song’s lyrics, usage of slang, and phrasing before making its decision. In one instance, YouTube’s management determined that one of the song’s opening lines, which describes rats coming out of tunnels, proves that the song is about Hamas terrorists, who regularly use tunnels for their military operations, and therefore does not qualify as hate speech.
YouTube employees told WIRED they believe the platform is biased, inconsistent, and unfair in its moderating of content related to the Israel-Hamas, war but YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon denied those accusations.
“We dispute the characterization that our response to this conflict deviated from our established approach toward major world events,” Malon told the magazine. “The suggestion that we apply our policies differently based on which religion or ethnicity is featured in the content is simply untrue. We have removed tens of thousands of videos since this conflict began. Some of these are tough calls, and we don’t make them lightly, debating to get to the right outcome.”
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
The post Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.