MK Uriel Buso from the Shas party proposed a bill to the Knesset that would see people who upload or share videos aimed at inciting racially motivated violence punished with a criminal offense and prison time. The bill entitled “Publicizing violent videos or content, and those who encourage violence and incitement on social media, will be considered to have committed a criminal felony according to the definition of the law in the penal code and will be accountable with a possibility of serving up to three years in prison.”

The proposed bill came after the recent videos were uploaded to the Tiktok phone application of an Arab slapping a Charedi yeshiva bochur, as well as the documented violence in Jaffa, and the harassment of Jews praying at the Kotel. The bill suggests that without the publication of these videos, and they’re being shared by throngs of people online,  the violence in Jerusalem and Jaffa would not be nearly as bad as it currently is.

“We have seen a growing recent phenomenon that is dangerous but growing. I am speaking about the sharing of violent and inciting videos on social media targeting a single group or segment of society. These videos are shared as humor, or simple-minded content, but they directly encourage others to participate in these violent acts, whether physical violence or harassment. This amounts to a personal attack in the best of circumstances, and possibly causing someone severe injury if not death, in the worst-case scenario.”

The bill seeks to change the definition of the term “attacking” to including anyone publicizing or sharing a video of an attack or any other video that is seen to encourage violence, harmful speech, or public embarrassment of another person.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)