Israeli army video blogs censored by YouTube

As the horror in Gaza is into it`s fourth day and Israel seem to be ready for an invasion, the war is also fought on the internet. YouTube temporary removed a number of videos of the attacks on Gaza posted at the Israeli Defense Force`s official YouTube channel, possibly due to thousands of "inapropriate comments". Some of the videos were later put back with the comment section disabled.

The video above, shot by Israeli army personel, depict bombings of what the publisher claim to be "rocket launching sites" in Gaza. The comment field is also a war zone.

This blogger comments:

"It`s a propaganda campaign, pure and simple. Even though you can see far worse in the chillingly note-perfect AC-130 stage in fucking Call of Duty 4, there are people dying in those buildings, and no, not of of them are terrorists. No war in history has been fought without the warring parties attempting to control the story with info dissemination. But using a forum like YouTube, a public community where smartbombs destroying buildings in a populated city are adjacent to sleeping kittens and 12 year olds` rants on why homework sucks, and where said 12 year olds (literally, and those of 12-year-old intellect) can fill the comment sections with racist hate-spew, is this where we draw the line?"

I think YouTube are wrong to remove this content and censor the comment fields. The firestorm of hate fueled comments are at the very least some sort of dialogue. YouTube have no ethical right to censor this debate. As to the videos, the world is watching anyhow. (The Wikipedia page of the Gaza Strip Airstrikes is flagged with disputed neutrality, as could be expected.)

On a personal note: I`m writing this from Stavanger, the Norwegian oil hub on the west coast, enjoying Christmas break from University and preparing for New Year`s Eve celebrations with friends. I am very fortunate to be located where I am. My thoughts go out to those less fortunate with their location, the civilians in Gaza in particular.