Among the identified ads are also calls on the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools and playgrounds, as well as appeals on fundraising for Israeli military units operating in Gaza.
The home company Facebook target told Al Jazeera that examinations were any advertisements that ran on his platforms. While admitting that some advertisements have been removed for “violations of our social issues, policies,” no policy policies “, did not specify whether the promotion of illegal settlements built on the stolen Palestinian land violated these standards.
Legal experts told Al Jazeera that meta could be condemnation of violations of international law by approval, accepting payment and publishing these ads. Brian Leishman, a representative in the United Kingdom parliament, discovered the findings as “extremely in touch”.
Illegal settlements advertised on Facebook
At least 52 paid advertisements from Israeli real estate companies have been found to promote property sales in settlements across the Western Bank, targeting the buyers from Israel as well as some users in the UK and the United States. These ads were first published in March 2024, and many remained active on Facebook.
“We have robust processes and teams to view ads, and our ad review system is designed to view ads before they move live,” said the target said al Jazeera. “This system relies primarily on automated technology for the application of our advertisements on millions of ads that run through our applications, while relying on our teams for building and training these systems, and in some cases manually review ads.”
Among the advertisements identified by Al Jazeera were at least four Promotions of the sale of property in the illegal Israeli settlement Ariel, 20km (12 miles) east of the green line in the occupied west coast. Advertisements are written in Hebrew and targeting Israeli Facebook users, paid on the Facebook page called “Ramat Aderet”, which describes yourself as a Penthouse for the perfect quality of life. ”
According to the website, the Ramat Aderet (Hillside Crown) is “two settlements – north and south – with a total of 27 … buildings between 4 to 8 floors. The apartments provide completely urban life experience in the perfect neighborhood.” The company has a valuation of $ 300 million, according to PitchBook, research firms and supplier of financial data.
Ramat ADERET did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
A real estate company that sells apartments and houses in Ariel is Ram Aderet, who has received financing from the first international bank of Israel.
Boycott, overtaking and sanctions (BDS) The movement has long called to boycott Bank due to its role in financing illegal settlements. After the pressure, in January 2014. The Dutch Pension Fund PGGM withdrew investments from the bank, while the insured giant AX refused in 2022. Years.
Another 48 advertisements published Gabai Real Estate, advertising homes in the busy settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and settlement EFRAT.
These homes are part of the expansion approved in March 2024. The Running Committee “, which is overseen by the Disharean Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, which, from 2023. No political or military approval for expansion plans.
Yaniv Gabbay, co-owner of Gabai, said Al Jazeera: “Unfortunately, we were just to set up in many different platforms to Judea, our advertising budget will increase, and we can proceed, and we can increase advertising budget, and we can proceed more. ”
Some Israelis relate to the occupied West Bank as Judea and Samaria, and the ultimate true government has encouraged the annexation of the Palestinian territory.
Ads try to show live in settlements as idyllic. One cites two-bedroom two-bedrooms with a huge garden, a large surface of Supeca (seats 50+), above the land pool, jacuzzi, saunas, cold tracks and a beautiful desert view just 20 minutes from Jerusalem! ” Don’t miss out! ”
Carolina are a platform management researcher at the Digital Citizens Center at the University of Northumbria, Al Jazeera said that “real estate ads are professionally framed as a standard property list”.
“Moderators may not have been aware of the nuances of international law,” she added.
According to international law, all Israeli settlements in the west coast are illegal. The transfer of the civilian population occupied in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Professor Aoife O’Doghue, International Legal Expisted with Queen University Belfast, “On the west coast of assets can be privately purchased and sold. However, whether they have a legal name to fully sell for the sale of those countries are fully questionable.
“If the Israeli government facilitates that, 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.”
Immigrant groups push for demolition
Al Jazeera also identified 50 ads published by Regaj, the end right settlement in 2006, which was founded in 2006 by Smotrich, who called on the destruction of Palestinian homes, schools and the children’s water park. The group receives funds from the Israeli government through the Council for Bidding West Bank, as well as amman, another settlement organization sanctioned by the UK and US government.
One advertisement celebrated the crash of the Palestinian school, “Following our petition, civilian administration forces were built in an illegal Palestinian School built in a heroic natural reserve. This school is only one of 100 illegal buildings.”
The second advertisement called on the Palestinian Water Park that will be demolished, claiming: “Palestinians enjoy our expense.”
He defended his regimen against school, saying that “was built for the sole purpose of creating conflicts.”
“(IT) considered (Israeli) to the courts to represent a very serious and imminent danger to the safety and well-being of Palestinian children who were buses to meet the improvised structure,” said Naomi Linder Kahn from Regaj.
The European Union previously condemned the demolition of schools in the western bank, and the Human Rights Hourly described the practice as “discriminatory and violates the right of children to education.”
In October last year, almost 90 US legislators called on the then President Joe bid to say sanctions to Regaj.
Regaj denies that he is the ultimate group or a settlement group, instead, he is “the main, professional contribution to public discourses and is a common participant in the national political debate and discussion.”
But Leishman, the British representative, said, “Revelation that the Israelis of the Longitude Pro-Immigrant, as well as the company – and allegedly active Israeli soldiers – can use social media to promote what can be promoted as international law is extremely concerned.”
Facebook funds for Israeli soldiers in Gaza
Under the expansion of the settlement, the target also paid advertisements for fundraising for Israeli military units operating in Gaza, even after the declaration of truce.
Legal experts say that they enable such advertisements to violate internationally humanitarian law by promoting military operations in the occupied territory.
Nine ads, which is paid by Israeli singer MAYER MALIK, sought donations for sniper teams, drone and battalions of special forces arranged in Gaza. One advertisement, still active on Facebook, reads: “We urgently need to record a tripod to complete our mission in Jabalia.”
Other ads requested funds for the Jasar Battalion and the elite unit of the Israeli Army in Rafah, as well as a night vision for the vision for the Golan Brigade.
Malik did not answer two comment requests from Al Jazeera.
According to the advertising guidelines “,” ads must not promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition or explosives. This includes ad modification accessories. ”
Professor Neve Gordon of Queen Mary University, Great Britain, said: “Facebook earns money from criminal activities.
“By enabling third parties to publish such ads, Facebook becomes an accomplice in their criminal activity, because the ads themselves play a role in white, normalization and legitimizing actions, which, according to the International Humanitarian Law and the Rome Statute, are equalized crimes.”
Leshman added: “Social media giants should be much more careful about what they allow them to appear on their platforms, not profiting from organizations with dangerous and divisional agenda.
“It is time to begin to take responsibility so that they cannot condemle the international law systematic violations.
“Everyone is under the obligation not to recognize, help or help maintain the illegal occupational territorial interest – the social media giants are not exempt or above the law.”
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2025-03-31 14:06:00
