Twitter temporarily suspended Israeli lawmaker who said Ahed Tamimi should have been shot

Twitter “temporarily suspended” the account of Deputy Knesset Speaker Bezalel Smotrich, after he posted that Palestinian child prisoner Ahed Tamimi should have been shot in the kneecap.

According to Haaretz, the MK’s account was suspended for 12 hours and he was instructed to delete the tweet; Smotrich “said he would refuse and would appeal Twitter’s demand that he do so”.

The report stated that “Twitter determined that the post was abusive and could incite people to harass, terrorize or silence an individual”.

READ: Knesset deputy speaker: Ahed Tamimi should have been shot in the kneecap

Responding, Smotrich said Twitter’s reaction was “a new record in silencing people. Apparently, freedom of speech is reserved for just for one side of the political map. I stand behind every word in that tweet”.

On Saturday, Smotrich tweeted: “In my opinion, she [Tamimi] should have gotten a bullet, at least in the kneecap. That would have put her under house arrest for the rest of her life”.