Apple has removed ThirdIntifada, an Arabic-language iPhone app that promotes violence against Israel, from its iTunes store on Wednesday. Third Intifada, an app that contained anti-Semitic content, was removed after Public Diplomacy Minister Yuli-Yoel Edelstein wrote to Steve Jobs, complaining that it calls for an uprising against Israel.
“One can easily see that this is in fact anti-Israel and anti-Zionist,” Edelstein said in his email to Jobs. He also said, “I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application’s ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous,” referring to the app’s ability to call on people and the consequences if the app stays online.
The free app had stories about ‘martyrs’ who had attacked Israel and articles against Israel. It also provided links to news stories in Arabic, announcing future protests.
An Apple spokesman on Wednesday said, “We removed this app from the App Store because it violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people.”
Edelstein issued a statement on Thursday, welcoming Apple’s hasty removal of the app from its stores.
According to Apple’s guidelines for developers, “[applications] containing references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence will be rejected.”
In March, Third Palestinian Intifada, an anti-Israeli Facebook page, was deleted because it called for a million supporters to join and rise against Israel. It was removed after Israel expressed concern.
What do you think about Apple’s Decisions? Should they have removed the Intifada app?, and if so, should it have been approved in the first place?
via: Telegraph
