Pro-Israel Group Banned From Twitter

It was a shock to receive an email on Feb. 27 from Canary Mission revealing that Twitter had suspended the group’s account for, of all things, “hateful conduct.” Talk about blaming the messenger. Canary Mission is a university watchdog group that exposes anti-Americanism, antisemitism, and Israel hate on college campuses.

Twitter is catnip to impulsive racists and Canary Mission puts that fact to good use. The group publishes the Twitter rants of antisemites on its website. Ryerson University student Shahrose Warraich might try to expunge his angry tweets like that of October 13, 2013: “Hitler ? #memories.” But it won’t do him much good as Canary Mission has a special page reserved just for him.

Similarly, Rawan Saleh, a former student of the University of Houston might have a toothy grin but on March 20, 2013, she tweeted: “Palestine will be the 2nd place of the Holocaust for the Yahood [Jews].”  On June 23, 2014, she tweeted: “Yahoodis [Jews] are just so disgusting.”

Why is documenting the hatred of these individuals so effective? Because these bigots will wake up one day and realize that they need to get a job. And American employers don’t want Hitler lovers as part of their team.

A 2016-2017 Year End Report by the Israel on on Campus Coalition credits Canary Mission with an overall decline in BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) activity on American campuses. “Nationally, BDS campus campaigns declined by almost 40 percent during the last academic year,” the report said. 

The report notes that online platforms like Canary Mission, by exposing prejudice, discourage anti-Israel commotion. Organizers at the Students for Justice in Palestine’s national conference in November even “led a special session on Canary Mission’s work, revealing growing anxiety among leaders of the anti-Israel movement.”

As the report says, “Fearing the repercussions of public exposure, some students withdrew their support for campus divestment, while others severed their ties to anti-Israel causes.”

No wonder the haters organized a phony campaign to boot Canary Mission from Twitter. They celebrated when they learned they had succeeded. Jewish Voice for Peace leader Ben Lorber wrote joyfully on Facebook: “Am Yisrael byeeeee.” His celebration was cut short.

Fortunately, Twitter realized it had been tricked by the very haters Canary Mission is exposing. Twitter reinstated the group’s account within a few hours.

Not only that, but Canary Mission has announced the creation of two new Twitter accounts. CanaryMissionCanada dedicated to exposing hatred on Canadian college campuses and CanaryMissionProfessors dedicated to exposing bigoted professors across North America.

If you would like to learn more visit the organization’s website.

And remember to sign up for ZionismU’s free courses!

Photo Credit: Stand With Us, Canary Mission