Digital Rights Weekly Update: 7 - 13 November

Statement: Israel Moves to Expand Police Powers in Alarming Crackdown on Palestinian Free Expression

7amleh

7amleh expresses grave concern over the latest legislative move in the Israeli Knesset to expand police powers to investigate alleged “incitement” without the oversight of the State Attorney’s Office. This bill, advanced under the direction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, dangerously lowers the threshold for criminal investigations into online expression, allowing the police to open cases and detain individuals based on arbitrary interpretations of speech. It represents a serious escalation in the ongoing campaign to criminalize Palestinian expression both online and offline, under the guise of combating incitement. This expansion of police powers represents only one step among many other pieces of legislation introduced since the beginning of the war, all intended to restrict and eliminate the freedom of expression for Palestinian citizens in Israel. 

Who Profits? US Corporations and the Whitewashing of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

Arab Center Washington DC

Consulting companies and private military contractors were not the only beneficiaries of Israel’s effort to perpetrate or cover up genocide. In its 2025 budget, Israel allocated an additional $150 million—20 times higher than previous budgets—to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for “public diplomacy,” also known as “hasbara” or pro-Israel propaganda. The effects soon became apparent. Google received a contract for $45 million to run propaganda videos on YouTube, created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming that food was available in Gaza. X received a contract for $3 million for a pro-Israel advertising campaign, while Outbrain, a web-recommendation platform founded in 2006 by two former Israeli naval officers, received $2.1 million. Between January 2024 and July 2025, Israeli government advertising agency LAPAM ran more than 6,000 ads across Google platforms, with 2,000 on YouTube alone. 

YouTube Deletes Palestinian Rights Channels, Erasing Key Evidence of Israeli Abuses

Observer Diplomat

The deletion represents a serious setback for war-crimes investigations. Video footage often serves as key evidence in ICC and UN inquiries. Once deleted, this material — much of it never backed up — is likely gone forever. It also widens the information gap in one of the world’s most polarized conflicts. Palestinians, already under physical blockade, now face a digital blockade on how their stories are told. And while YouTube has previously taken down extremist content, critics point out the double standard: graphic material from Israeli or U.S. military operations often remains accessible under “news” exemptions. International rights groups have condemned the move as a violation of freedom of expression and access to information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch have both called for YouTube to restore the channels, arguing that evidence of abuses must remain accessible for justice to be possible.

Israel funds AI, church and VR propaganda campaigns to rebuild US support

The New Arab

Israel has launched a sweeping multimillion-dollar campaign to rehabilitate its image in the United States, combining artificial intelligence, religious targeting and immersive propaganda, according to an investigation by Haaretz. The report says the Israeli government has signed multiple contracts through its Foreign and Tourism ministries and the Government Advertising Agency (LAPAM) to reshape US public opinion after its genocidal war on Gaza. Payments were routed through Havas Media Germany, a subsidiary of the global advertising giant Havas, which acts as intermediary for foreign-agent filings in Washington. Among the most striking contracts is a $6 million deal with Clock Tower X, owned by Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign strategist. The four-month agreement calls for "strategic consulting, planning and communications services" to produce thousands of online materials aimed at combating antisemitism and restoring Israel’s reputation.

Confessions of Genocide: Israel’s Media War on Truth 

Middle East Monitor

In this episode of Palestine This Week we break down the shocking confessions from Israeli soldiers detailing atrocities committed in Gaza, while Washington looks the other way. We discuss how US intelligence knew Israel’s atrocities could amount to war crimes and chose to remain silence. Meanwhile, Big Tech platforms are erasing digital evidence, censoring Palestinian voices, and rewriting the record in real time. From the disappearance of over 11,000 Palestinians, to new laws targeting Palestinians for execution, to a coordinated campaign to manipulate AI, social media, and mainstream news — this episode exposes how a global cover-up is unfolding before our eyes.