Israel Presses Meta to Remove Iran-War Content on Facebook and Instagram

Internal documents obtained by The Intercept show that Israel’s Ministry of Justice and State Attorney’s Office have repeatedly asked Meta to delete Facebook and Instagram posts that praise Iran, mourn Ayatollah Khamenei, depict Iranian missile impacts, or criticize Israel’s conduct in the war after the October 7 Hamas attack. Requests also target content objecting to the Al-Aqsa Mosque storming and posts linking Israel’s closure of the site to the conflict. Meta has complied with most requests, reporting a 92 % compliance rate in 2023 and 94 % in 2025. The campaign builds on a 2024 liaison program in which former Netanyahu aide Jordana Cutler serves as Israel’s point of contact at Meta.

The Intercept

• 92 % compliance in 2023 and 94 % in 2025 (State Attorney’s Office, Drop Site News).

The Intercept

• 2022 internal audit: Arabic content faced higher over-enforcement than Hebrew; no public total for Iran-war takedowns.

The Intercept

Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts said any user can report content they believe violates the rules and that Meta evaluates each report, removing material only when required by law or when it breaches its speech rules. He said the company considers the takedown requests routine and not unusual. The Israeli Ministry of Justice declined comment, and Meta did not disclose the number of Iran-war takedowns approved.

The Intercept

Stanford Law School professor Evelyn Douek warned that “governments wanting to suppress speech that is critical of their war efforts is as old as time,” and said unchecked national-security claims could “obliterate the value of speech protections.” She called Meta’s “acquiescence in lots of takedown requests” a “long-standing practice” that creates a “skewed debate.” Legal scholars note that U.S. sanctions law targets material support, not political expression, questioning the basis for removing IRGC-related content.

The Intercept

Meta has not disclosed the total number of Iran-war takedowns, and the basis for labeling IRGC content as prohibited remains contested. A source said Israel sought a blanket ban on war-damage imagery, mirroring Israeli media policy, but Meta has not implemented such a rule.

The Intercept

• “Governments wanting to suppress speech that is critical of their war efforts is as old as time.” — Evelyn Douek, Stanford Law School professor

The Intercept

• “Anyone is able to report content they think violates our rules.” — Daniel Roberts, Meta spokesperson

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• “Arabic content had greater over-enforcement (e.g., erroneously removing Palestinian voice) on a per user basis.” — 2022 Meta internal audit

The Intercept

The United States and Iran signed a ceasefire on Friday, though Israel signaled it may not fully honor the terms. Scholars and civil-rights groups are urging greater transparency on governmental takedown requests, indicating continued scrutiny of Meta’s moderation during the conflict.

The Intercept