280 Palestinians arrested for posts or “likes” on social media, any other free democracies do this?

[abi]

Can we, if nothing else, stop referring to Israel as a free democracy?

Israel arrests 280 Palestinians for Facebook posts

 

[ForeverYoung436]

Can we, if nothing else, stop referring to Israel as a free democracy?

Israel arrests 280 Palestinians for Facebook posts

I do not believe this. Is this a reputable news agency? Or is it like Electronic Intifada?

 

[Shusha]

I'm not able to find any mainstream news articles on this, so unable to verify the OP article.

I did find this, from August this year, which explains the type of behavior which leads to arrest -- support of terror attacks and calling for more terror attacks on innocents.

A quick check of Wiki finds at least 30 countries, many democratic, with hate speech or incitement laws -- including prison terms. In fact, the US happens to be the exception concerning hate speech laws amongst Western countries (and even some Eastern ones). Here are some examples:

Canada
Advocating genocide against an "identifiable group" is an indictable offense and carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. Publicly inciting hatred against any identifiable group can be prosecuted as an indictable offense with a maximum penalty of two years or as a summary conviction offense with a maximum penalty of six months.

Chile
Imposes a large fine to any who "through any means of social communication makes public intended to promote hatred or hostility towards a person or group of persons due to their race, sex, religion or nationality".

Finland
Any published information which threatens or insults a group because of race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious conviction or any comparable trait can be considered ethnic agitation and carries a maximum prison term of four years.

Germany
A crime to publicly insult hatred against parts of the population or to call for violent or arbitrary measures against them. Punishable by up to five years in prison.

Iceland
Anyone who in a ridiculing, slanderous, insulting, threatening or any other manner publicly assaults a person (verbally) on the basis of their nationality, skin color, race, religion or sexual orientation will be fined or jailed for up to two years.

Serbia
Criminal charges for provoking ethnic, racial or religious animosity carries a prison term of a maximum of 10 months.




Should we stop referring to Canada as a free democracy?

 

[teddyearp]

It is the Palestinian authority with laws on the books about media postings that do not agree with PA.

 

[fanger]

Are Israeli's treated in the same way Palestinians are treated?

 

[Shusha]

Actually, upon a little further checking, calling for immanent violence is an offense even in the US.

 

[Shusha]

Are Israeli's treated in the same way Palestinians are treated?

Yes. Rabbi charged with incitement.

 

[fanger]

A decision on whether to indict Elitzur remained on Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit’s desk for at least two years before criminal charges were filed. At the end of 2015, the Israel Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Tag Meir, an anti-racism group, petitioned the High Court of Justice for an order requiring Elitzur’s indictment. After several delays, the state replied that an indictment would be filed, subject to a prior hearing. Elitzur was summoned to a hearing but did not respond.
West Bank rabbi to stand trial for incitement to violence against Arabs
He still has not been sentenced

 

[fanger]

Last week, two extreme right-wing Israelis were found guilty of incitement, with one of the two sentenced to community service, in a rare instance of Jewish Israelis being prosecuted for anti-Palestinian hate speech.


A February report released by the Arab Center for Social Media Advancement 7amleh documented that slanderous, provocative, and threatening posts made by Israelis against Arabs and Palestinians more than doubled in 2016, reaching 675,000 posts made by 60,000 Hebrew-speaking Facebook users -- “while almost not a single case of incitement has been opened against Israeli instigators.”


By contrast, Israeli forces detained at least 400 Palestinians in less than a year over social media activity, and 400 others were detained for the same reason by the Palestinian Authority through itswidely condemned policy of security coordination with Israel, Israeli news daily Haaretz reported in April.


A more recent report by Haaretz revealed how Israel has been monitoring Palestinians’ social media profiles and subsequently making arrests when “the kid doesn’t know that he is a terrorist yet,” as one Israeli army officer put it
Israeli rabbi charged with 'incitement' for posts condoning killing of non-Jews

 

[fanger]

Revealed How Israel Jails Palestinians Because They Fit the 'Terrorist Profile'
Israel has arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the lone-wolf intifada began in September 2015, partly by analyzing social media posts. Authorities say these arrests are legitimate, but others see it as a grave violation of human rights
read more: How Israel jails Palestinians because they fit the 'terrorist profile'

 

[fanger]

The soldiers took Zahda to a counterterror unit of the Israeli police, which held him for the crime of incitement to violence. At one point during Zahda’s interrogation, the police showed him content they had collected from his personal Facebook page. But Zahda wrote Facebook posts from the West Bank, an area governed not by Israeli civilian law but by Israeli military law. The police had no jurisdiction over Zahda, said Nery Ramati, his attorney. Instead of releasing him, the police transferred Zahda to an Israeli military prison. When asked about his arrest and interrogation, the Israeli army responded, “Because Mr. Zahda’s case is still open, we are unable to elaborate on any specific details.” The Israeli police did not respond to detailed requests about the interrogation.
Israel Targeting Palestinian Protesters on Facebook

it would seem israeli "democracy" extends only to those who profess the jewish faith