By COLlive reporter
Mimi Hecht, a clothing company owner and a resident of Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, is calling out what she says is censorship of her pro-Israel posts on the social media platform Instagram.
The co-founder of Mimu Maxi is accusing Instagram of deleting her posts calling out bias in the news media, as well as on social media, following recent anti- Semitic attacks and the escalation of fighting in Gaza.
Hecht says she was recently moved to acknowledge the lack of empathy towards the victims of the anti-Semitic horrific shooting in Pittsburgh to her followers on her company’s Instagram account.
“Everyone was posting about the attack,” Hecht said. “An attack on my people. But we were left out of the story altogether. Post after post about the shooting, yet virtually every single one was either political-focused, or merely an obligatory generalized statement on the need to ‘love one another.”
“The same world that goes to great lengths to name racism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia (just to name a few), could not use the term “anti-Semitism,” and could barely utter the word ‘Jewish.'”
“I was shedding light on the situation, calling out the lies, and giving so many of my followers—who desperately need it—the facts that they wouldn’t see elsewhere,” she wrote.
This week, when hundreds of rockets were being fired into Jewish cities and villages in Southern Israel from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Hecht again felt the need to speak out.
“I pointed out how the New York Times called terrorists “fighters,” and how no one was acknowledging that the “Palestinians” killed were actually top-level terrorists with blood on their hands.
“I posted about the “poor Palestinian” that was actually Nour Barakeh, the mastermind behind the terror tunnels. I posted about the two Muslim congresswomen elected last week, that the entire world is heralding, who have stated they would vote against military aid to Israel,” she wrote.
Hecht also called out controversial political activist Linda Sarsour, a Women’s March leader and former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, who is known for anti-Israel views.
“When Women’s March leader and anti-Semite Linda Sarsour posted about Israel’s “aggression,” I called her out for denying the facts (how interesting, she also calls murderers “fighters”) and for essentially encouraging terrorism,” Hecht says.
And that’s when Instagram began deleting her posts.
First, one about the danger of falling prey to mainstream media’s portrayal of events in Israel. Next, it was decoding Sarour’s anti-Semitic terrorist-supporting jargon.
Hecht says she is aware that these are “hot touch-points.”
“But I was basically edited and silenced for speaking out against that,” she says.
Hecht has made this public to her social media followers, asking them to share her words and make sure “the truth is not silenced.”
“Unlike so many of the accounts and posts we all see that incite violence or use hate speech, my posts did not,” she writes.
“Yes, my posts included buzzwords that could catch Instagram’s attention (like “murderers” and “Jew hatred”) but they were conversational and educational. Moreover, not only did they not violate any of Instagram’s “Community Guidelines” but they were actually speaking up AGAINST hatred,” she writes.
“How alarming is it that anti-Semitic groups and accounts and individuals full of hate speech can exist loudly on social media, but when a Jewish account simply enters the conversation about Israel with an unpopular narrative, it’s banned?”
Keep up the good work👍👍
Show them all whats true. Kodos to you!
PragerU is filling a lawsuit against google and youtube for unfair and biased anti-right censorship. Click link to go to their page and donate to this important cause of making sure the truth can be heard! https://donate.prageru.com/give/212243/#!/donation/checkout
מחיל אל חיל!
Thank you Mimi for not being Ashamed or embarrassed to speak the truth the world is full of lies and people have lost their tracks in what is true and what is not true.
Not only did you state all the FACTS, you worded everything so eloquently and intelligently. Lets show the world how wise we Jews really are. we will NOT stand for this.
Thank you for speaking up
Continue fighting for whats right! Truth will always prevail!
Keep spreading TRUTH
yashar koach Mimi, you speak for us all.
GREAT JOB and wishing you bracha ve hatzlacha.
Mimi continue! Continue and be proud that your Jewish! Show them that they can’t stop you
Make a blog and post, they arent charging you for it so they can make up their own rules.
Maybe it was the business that was being targeted. Think about it.
But its good that you say something. You are like Avigdor Lieberman. Kol hakavod to you
Mimi… I have been following your feed on antisemitism and I salute your clarity, and fearless stance against hatred and hate crimes. Thank you for setting so many records straight.
Kol Hakavod!
Linda Sarsour’s post IS on Instagram as well
Instagram isn’t “out to silence” you; they don’t care about you. They have a gazillion users, they don’t want problems, and if enough people keep flagging an account they’ll shut down the posts and account. It’s a free service, so you have to play by their rules.
And yes the accounts on the opposite side get the same treatment. The screenshot from Linda Sarsour is from her *facebook* account. She can’t post that on Instagram either.
what can be done about this!
Good on you for speaking the Truth
MIMI
Good for you ! Super impressive to be so brave and confident in what you stand for and believe in .
You used your voice and words do inspire and protect. Thank you
A fan
There should be a huge outcry from EVERYONE on this site and beyond. The comments on line about Jews are so horrific from personal websites and no one is taking them down. The words “Hitler (ymach shmo) was right”, and worse comments are found everywhere. There have been more anti semitic attacks against Jews than any other minority in the U.S. according to this morning’s news and it’s just going up. For the first time in my entire life I am becoming aware of anti semitism and it’s terribly terribly frightening. We need to stop it now. We have clout.… Read more »
So important to stand up for what’s right and call out what’s wrong. Kol ha kavod
You are brave. I salute you!
May Hashem protect you.
Rooting for you….
I don’t know you but but kudos for having the head to state the facts.
thats coz the owner of the bbc is married 2 a muslim (i heard)
The BBC call these people militants!
People will believe what they want to believe but we still need to give the clear headed the opportunity to hear the truth.
Keep up the good work.
There were comments to the article on the Pittsburgh shooting posted on other websites how we need to protect our children from molesters in Shuls that was also removed.
Always speaking up for us, and always on point!!!