A new computer game centering around the murder of Israeli soldiers has been removed from Facebook, following an outcry among pro-Israeli groups and Israeli lawmakers.
The social media giant removed Fursan Al-Aqsa, the Knights of the Al-Aqsa mosque, a game created by Nidal Nijm, a Brazilian of Palestinian Arab extraction, in response to complaints from Jewish groups.
The game features as its main objective the murder of IDF soldiers, and ultimately the takeover of Israel by Palestinian Arab terrorists.
The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, one of the groups which objected to the game, contacted Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg urging her to intervene and have Facebook remove the game.
Facebook subsequently barred the game from its platform, saying it violated its community standards.
“We are very thankful to Sheryl Sandberg for taking immediate action and for their partnership to fight the plague of hate and anti- Semitism on their platform,” said the CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, Duvi Honig.
“Moreover, social media is a key partner in helping to prevent the spread of terror and violence. Taking the stand of not allowing to promote this game on their platform will no doubt protect families and lives and most of all strengthen world peace.”
“The announcement of the social media platform of Facebook to aid in removing this hostile content comes at a much-needed time when anti-Semitism, prejudice and discrimination against Jews and the state of Israel are at a zenith.”