TikTok has removed an account belonging to an Israeli ultranationalist influencer after the Guardian flagged videos showing him harassing activists in the occupied West Bank. The platform said the account breached its rules on hate speech and bullying.
The Guardian reviewed dozens of videos posted by various social media figures that went viral on TikTok and Instagram, documenting harassment of Palestinians and physical attacks on Israeli and international activists. The accounts proliferated after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, since when Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank.
One video showed influencer Roi Star entering a house used by leftwing activists in Ras Ein al-Auja and pepper-spraying an activist. In another clip, Star is heard threatening activists and their families. Star claimed he went to 'talk about peace' and said the land was an open Israeli public space. He described the pepper spray as self-defence and the threats as 'acting'.
TikTok stated it does not allow 'violent and hateful individuals' on its platform and removed videos from other creators linked to Israeli far-right agitators. The platform's action comes amid a rise in far-right influence in Israeli politics and online.
Prof Anat Ben-David of the Open University of Israel noted a 'troubling convergence between platform dynamics and on-the-ground violence'. Israeli activist Barak Cohen said far-right influencers have 'crossed a serious line', with violence against Palestinians feeding mob dynamics.
