Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Year: 2025

Meta profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Meta profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Facebook has platformed more than 100 paid advertisements promoting illegal settlements and far-right settler activity in the occupied West Bank, an Al Jazeera investigation has found, raising concerns that the social media giant is profiting from content that may violate international law. Among the advertisements identified were also calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, and playgrounds, as well as fundraising appeals for Israeli military units operating in Gaza. Facebook’s parent company Meta told Al Jazeera that any advertisements that ran on its platforms were reviewed by the company. While it admitted that some of the advertisements had since been removed for “violating our social issues, elections, and politics policies”, it did not specify whether the promotion of illegal settlements built on stolen Palestinian land breached those standards. Legal experts told Al Jazeera that Meta could be complicit in violations of international law by approving, accepting payment, and publishing these advertisements. Brian Leishman, an MP in the United Kingdom parliament, described the findings as “extremely concerning”. Advertisement Illegal settlements advertised on Facebook At least 52 paid advertisements from Israeli real estate companies were found promoting property sales in settlements across the occupied West Bank, targeting buyers from across Israel as well as some users in the UK and the United States. These advertisements were first published in March 2024, and many remain active on Facebook. “We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad review system is designed to review ads before they go live,” Meta told Al Jazeera. “This system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our Advertising Standards to the millions of ads that run across our apps, while relying on our teams to build and train these systems, and in some cases, to manually review ads.” Among the advertisements identified by Al Jazeera were at least four promoting property sales in the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel, 20km (12 miles) east of the Green Line in the occupied West Bank. The listings, written in Hebrew and targeting Israeli Facebook users, were paid for by a Facebook page called “Ramat Aderet”, which describes itself as offering “penthouses for a perfect quality of life”. According to the website, the Ramat Aderet (Hillside Crown) project is “two neighbourhoods – north and south – with a total of 27 … buildings of between 4 to 8 floors. The apartments provide a complete urban living experience in a perfect neighbourhood.” The company has a valuation of $300m, according to PitchBook, a research firm and financial data provider. Advertisement Ramat Aderet did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment. The Ramad Aderet Facebook page is full of computer renderings of modern buildings against blue skies [screengrab/Facebook] The real estate company selling apartments and houses in Ariel is Ram Aderet, which has received financing from the First International Bank of Israel. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has long called for a boycott of the bank over its role in financing illegal settlements. Following pressure, in January 2014, the Dutch pension fund PGGM withdrew investments from the bank, while insurance giant AXA divested in 2022. Another 48 advertisements were posted by Gabai Real Estate, advertising homes in the occupied West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and the Efrat settlement. These homes are part of an expansion approved in March 2024 by Israel’s “Higher Planning Committee”, which is overseen by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who, since 2023, no longer needs political or military approvals for expansion plans. Yaniv Gabbay, the co-owner of Gabai Real Estate, told Al Jazeera: “Unfortunately, we were only able to post 48 ads because our budget is limited, and we advertise on many different platforms. But as we sell more homes to Jews returning home to Judea, our advertising budget will increase, and we can post more.” Some Israelis refer to the occupied West Bank as Judea and Samaria, and the far-right government has made a push towards annexing the Palestinian territory. Advertisement The advertisements attempt to portray living in the settlements as idyllic. One lists an eight-bedroom mansion with a “huge garden, large succah area (seats 50+), above-ground pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, cold plunge, and breathtaking desert mountain views… A dream home just 20 minutes from Jerusalem! Don’t miss out!” Carolina Are, a platform governance researcher at the Centre for Digital Citizens at Northumbria University, told Al Jazeera that “the real estate ads have been expertly framed as standard property listings, allowing them to elude moderation”. “Moderators may not be aware of the nuances of international law either,” she added. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Professor Aoife O’Donoghue, international law expert from Queen’s University Belfast, said: “On the West Bank, property can be privately bought and sold. However, whether they have the legal title to sell that land at all would be highly questionable. “If the Israeli government is facilitating it, and they are settlements, then they would be in violation of the Third Geneva Convention. Here, the Israeli government has a duty to prevent illegal settlements.” [Screengrab/Facebook] Settler groups pushing for demolitions Al Jazeera also identified 50 advertisements posted by Regavim, a far-right settler group founded by Smotrich in 2006, that has called for the destruction of Palestinian homes, schools, and a children’s water park. The group receives funding from the Israeli government via the West Bank settlement councils, and also Amana, another pro-settlement organisation sanctioned by the UK and US governments. Advertisement One advertisement celebrated the demolition of a Palestinian school, boasting: “Following our petition, Civil Administration forces tore down an illegal Palestinian school built in the Herodian Nature Reserve… This school is only one out of more than 100 illegal school buildings.” Another advertisement called for a Palestinian water park to be demolished, claiming: “Palestinians are enjoying themselves at our expense.” Regavim defended the campaign against the school, saying it

Iran-born Yale scholar fired over allegations of working with terrorist-tied ‘sham charity’

Iran-born Yale scholar fired over allegations of working with terrorist-tied ‘sham charity’

A Yale University Law School associate research scholar was terminated after failing to disclose information about her alleged ties to Samidoun Network, a Canada-based group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Iranian-born Helyeh Doutaghi was fired Friday, three weeks after being put on administrative leave after allegations were made that she was part of the Samidoun Network, classified as “a sham charity” by the federal government for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S-designated terrorist organization. “Over the last three weeks, Yale has repeatedly requested to meet with Ms. Doutaghi and her attorney to obtain clarifying information and resolve this matter,” Yale spokesperson Alden Ferro said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, she has refused to meet to provide any responses to critical questions, including whether she has ever engaged in prohibited activity with organizations or individuals that were placed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list (‘SDN List’).” COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY YIELDS TO TRUMP ADMIN DEMANDS OVER REVOKED $400M IN FEDERAL FUNDING As such, the university terminated Doutaghi, effective immediately, over her “refusal to cooperate” with their investigation. The university, which saw its fair share of anti-Israel protests last year and a large-scale graduation walkout, noted her short-term employment was already set to expire in April.  Doutaghi was appointed deputy director of the Law and Political Economy (LPE) Project at the unversity in October 2023. According to her bio on the Palestine Center for Public Policy website, her “research explores the intersections of the Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), encompassing Marxian and postcolonial critiques of law, sanctions, and international political economy.” She is also an incoming post-doctoral fellow at the University of Tehran, according to the website, where her focus will be “completing her manuscript on Iranian sanctions regime and neoliberalism.” HAWLEY BLASTS ‘INSANE’ LIBERAL ATTORNEY DURING SENATE HEARING ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM The allegations about Doutaghi were first made by Jewish Onliner, a Substack “Empowered by A.I. capabilities,” according to its X account. “Rather than defend me, the Yale Law School moved within less than 24 hours of learning about the report to place me on leave,” Doutaghi wrote in a statement on X earlier this month. “I was given only a few hours’ notice by the administration to attend an interrogation based on far-right AI-generated allegations against me, while enduring a flood of online harassment, death threats, and abuse by Zionist trolls, exacerbating ongoing unprecedented distress and complications both at work and at home.” Doutaghi said she was “afforded no due process and no reasonable time to consult” with her attorney. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RESIGNS AFTER MONTHS OF MOUNTING PRESSURE OVER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS The termination of Doutaghi comes as the Trump administration has been clamping down on allegations of antisemitism across Ivy League schools.  Several students holding visas or green cards have since filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging First Amendment violations. “Immediate action will be taken by the Department of Justice to protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities,” a White House fact sheet on the executive order said.  Trump also vowed to deport Hamas sympathizers and revoke student visas.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil was among the first students to face allegations from the Trump administration over his green card application, in which he was accused of omitting details about his employment history. The administration subsequently pulled $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing its handling of anti-Israel protests on campus last year. The Ivy League school announced on Friday it would implement significant policy changes to comply with the administration’s demands.

House Republicans brush off Stefanik’s Trump admin upheaval amid high-stakes Florida race

House Republicans brush off Stefanik’s Trump admin upheaval amid high-stakes Florida race

House Republicans are brushing off reports of anxiety over three historically red congressional seats, as the special election for two of them looms just a day away. “Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine are exactly who House Republicans need to join our team,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital last week, referring to candidates running in Florida’s special election Tuesday. Patronis is running for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which was vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Fine is running for Florida 6th District, previously held by former Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who now serves as U.S. national security advisor. Republicans have conceded they have been far outraised in those districts, and despite their likely victory, Democrats’ over-performance has reportedly raised concerns about the GOP’s fate in other areas of the country. ELISE STEFANIK DETAILS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ DECISION TO REMAIN IN CONGRESS AFTER TRUMP REQUEST TO PULL UN NOMINATION It comes after suggestions that GOP discord in a Republican-favored district in upstate New York made some people nervous about Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., ascending to President Donald Trump‘s nomination as ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik withdrew her nomination on Friday in a decision that blindsided even lower levels of House GOP leadership, sources told Fox News Digital. Democrats immediately seized on the news as evidence that Republicans were worried about losing her seat in New York’s 21st District – something Republicans flatly denied, while blaming the state’s progressive governor for signaling she would slow-walk the special election to replace Stefanik. “It was a combination of the New York corruption that we’re seeing under Kathy Hochul, special elections and the House margin,” Stefanik said on “Hannity” Friday. “I’ve been in the House. It’s tough to count these votes every day. And we are going to continue to defy the political prognosticators and deliver, deliver victory on behalf of President Trump and, importantly, the voters across this country.” TRUMP ASKS STEFANIK TO WITHDRAW FROM UN AMBASSADOR CONTENTION OVER RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital, “We’d win this seat in a special election, and we’ll win it in a general election.” Trump won the district by 20% in 2024, and Stefanik won every county during that same election cycle. He told reporters at the White House last week, “We cannot take a chance. We have a slim margin,” and said he did not know who would be running to replace her. But the president has also been busy at work in Florida, where he held tele-town halls for both Patronis and Fine over the weekend. While the Democrats are the underdogs in both races, they’re winning the fundraising battle. Democrat Gay Valimont hauled in over $6 million from Jan. 9 through March 12, compared to just $1.1 million for Patronis in Florida’s 1st District.  Orlando teacher Josh Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by raising $9.3 million compared to roughly $600,000 for Republican state lawmaker Fine in the Sunshine State’s 6th District. The cash discrepancy in the 6th District race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine in the closing days of the campaign, with conservative super PACs launching ads spotlighting Trump’s support of Fine. They have no predictions of success, however, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling reporters earlier this month, “These districts are so Republican, there would ordinarily be no reason to believe that the races will be close, but what I can say, almost guaranteed, is that the Democratic candidate in both of these Florida special elections will significantly overperform.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But it has not alarmed the GOP’s core fundraising machines. Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that neither the NRCC nor the Congressional Leadership Fund – the top super PAC supporting House Republicans – are putting any resources into either race. “I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., told reporters earlier this month. But Hudson added that Fine is “doing what he needs to do. He’s on TV now,” and emphasized, “we’re going to win the seat. I’m not concerned at all.”

Doctors Without Borders: Treating millions while global aid falls apart

Doctors Without Borders: Treating millions while global aid falls apart

Christopher Lockyear on war, racism allegations, and front-line aid workers. Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, provides more than 16 million medical consultations every year, often in the world’s most dangerous places. But even this Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation is sounding the alarm: the global humanitarian system is falling apart. MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear talks to Al Jazeera about working in war zones like Sudan and Gaza, the impact of aid funding cuts, and addressing racism accusations against the organisation. As crises escalate and trust in institutions fades, can the world still care for those who need it most, or is compassion collapsing with the system? Adblock test (Why?)

Ocean economy needs protection against wave of threats: OECD

Ocean economy needs protection against wave of threats: OECD

The ocean economy doubled between 1995 and 2020, but future growth could be curtailed by multiple threats. The global ocean economy is at risk of major disruption without increased protection, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The global ocean economy had grown to a size of $2.3 trillion by 2020, the OECD said in a report issued on Monday, as it called for action to improve sustainability. Climate change, environmental degradation, lagging productivity, and slow digital transformation are intensifying pressures on marine ecosystems and economic potential, the report warns. The oceans provide food security for more than three billion people, facilitate the transportation of 80 percent of global goods, and are home to cables that carry 98 percent of international internet traffic, the OECD notes. From 1996 to 2020, the world’s ocean economy doubled in size, contributing to between three and four percent of total global gross domestic product (GDP). Tourism and offshore oil and gas generated almost two-thirds of that output during those years. Fishing and maritime trade were also important drivers of growth. Advertisement “If considered a country, the ocean economy would be the world’s fifth-largest economy in 2019,” the OECD said, highlighting that the blue economy supports more than 100 million full-time jobs. Beachgoers dip in the Atlantic Ocean at Hollywood Beach, Florida, the United States [File: Wilfredo Lee/AP] Published ahead of a high-level summit in Paris, the report adds that if historical trends continue, the ocean economy “could be nearly four times larger by 2050 than in 1995”. However, sustaining this growth will require policy measures, it warns. ‘Further action needed’ Oceans are struggling under the pressure of human population growth, increased environmental degradation, and increased territorial disputes, the OECD worries. Elsewhere, the growth of illegal activities has given rise to a “dark ocean economy”. “Further action is needed” to foster international cooperation and governance mechanisms to ensure a productive and sustainable economy, the report declares. “Through science-based policy, improved management of marine spaces, and innovative digital solutions, we can protect the jobs, livelihoods, and food security of hundreds of millions of people who depend on the ocean” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. The report comes as the world’s oceans suffer a crisis of pollution, overfishing, and record-breaking levels of warmth that have harmed marine life and raised global temperatures. The United Nations is hosting a major conference in the southern French city of Nice in June to specifically address these challenges and the sustainable use of the world’s oceans. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)