Russian TV channel critical of Israel blocked by YouTube in 28 countries

The show highlighted the rise in militarism in Israel

Abby Martin, a host on Russia Today (RT), had her interview on the Empire Files programme blocked by YouTube in 28 countries for violating 'local laws' as her featured guest journalist Max Blumenthal highlighted the rise in militarism in Israel, stated the TV news channel website rt.com.

“Just notified by YouTube that Abby Martin’s interview with Max Blumenthal has been blocked from being viewed in 28 countries (including Israel) to ‘comply with local laws.’ Actions disabled and warnings for viewers elsewhere,” the programme’s official Twitter account related on Thursday.

Empire Files is a documentary and interview programme known for addressing issues that are overlooked or ignored by traditional media.

The episode, “Jewish-American on Israel's Fascism: ‘No Hope For Change From Within',” presented a discussion between Martin and Blumenthal about the increasingly militaristic, racist attitude of Israel towards Palestinians said rt.com’

Just notified by YouTube that @AbbyMartin’s interview with @MaxBlumenthal has been blocked from being viewed in 28 countries (including Israel) to “comply with local laws.” Actions disabled & warnings for viewers elsewhere. https://t.co/Kr2rbfXabg pic.twitter.com/vKPxABjsZ7

— The Empire Files (@EmpireFiles) April 5, 2018

A screenshot from YouTube on rt.com which accompanied the tweet identified the 28 countries and territories where the 2015 uploaded video was recently blocked and this list includes most European countries.

“YouTube has claimed that it removed my interview on Israel-Palestine with Abby Martin to comply with laws in 28 countries. However, nothing I did or said in the discussion was even remotely illegal, even in countries with the strictest hate crime laws,” Blumenthal told rt.com in an email.

He continued, “My comments were based entirely on my extensive journalistic experience in the region and my analysis was clinical in nature. At no point did I denigrate anyone based on their faith or ethnicity.”

Blumenthal also told rt.com that his comments were “motivated by a strong opposition to Israel's systemic discrimination against Palestinians,” and his “dedication to equal rights for all.” He called the YouTube's decision “a political one and likely made under pressure from powerful pro-Israel interests.”

The rt.com website said that viewers from around the world responded to Empire Files tweet, reporting that the video includes a warning that is has been “identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences.”

The video’s description, view counter, comments section, as well as ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ options have apparently also been disabled by YouTube.

Blumenthal said this isn’t the first time YouTube has censored his commentary and journalism on Israel-Palestine. In 2010, he made a viral video exposing “racist extremism” in Israel, which received widespread media coverage and was subsequently removed from the platform without explanation.

“The trend of censoring material that presents Israel in a less than favorable light has only intensified as an establishment attack on critical voices expands. This latest episode confirms my view that the pro-Israel lobby and its willing accomplices in Silicon Valley present one of the greatest threats to free speech in the West,” Blumenthal told rt.com.

The rt.com website wrote that last year, YouTube invited the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to join its "Trusted Flagger" system. The ADL defines opposition to Israel's system of apartheid as a form of anti-Semitism.

Blumenthal told rt.com that he believes the ADL is likely behind the suppression of his interview with Martin.

This article first appeared on rt.com.