Israeli Court Won’t Block Anti-Islam Film
A Jerusalem court denied a request by Arab-Israeli politicians and religious leaders seeking to remove an anti-Muslim movie from YouTube and block all Israeli access to it.
The request to the Jerusalem District Court to issue an injunction against Google to block access to “Innocence of Muslims,” which insults the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, was filed Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported. Google owns YouTube.
The court ordered a full hearing for Oct. 15 on the request, but declined to block access to the movie and its trailer until the hearing, according to the newspaper.
The lawsuit said that access to the movie is incitement to racism against Muslims, which violates Israel’s Penal Code, among other charges.
Access to the video has been blocked in several Muslim countries. A 14-minute trailer of the movie dubbed in Arabic has sparked riots throughout the Arab world and in Arab communities in other countries. The backlash led to the killing of four American diplomats in Libya.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
