Twitter Shuts Down MK Smotrich’s Account

For the time being, the outspoken Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich while have to find another venue to vent his outrage, after Twitter closed his account.

Twitter’s decision came after Smotrich posted that a Palestinian teenager who slapped an Israeli soldier should have been shot in the kneecap instead of being sentenced to jail.

Having determined that the tweet was incitement, Twitter suspended his account until he agreed to delete the offensive comment. Smotrich refused.

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

The Palestinian, Ahed Tamimi, was convicted in March of assaulting a soldier, incitement and interfering with a soldier in the line of duty. In a plea bargain, she was sentenced to eight months in prison and a fine of 5,000 shekels ($1,400).