Press Release

ADL Concerned About Re-Launch Of Hezbollah TV App On Google And Apple

New York, NY, August 16, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed concern about Hezbollah re-launching its smartphone applications, which were previously removed by Apple and Google.

ADL was the first to report on the app, which appeared on July 25 and directs users to con­tent from Al-Manar, the Lebanon-based terrorist organization's satel­lite tele­vi­sion sta­tion that broad­casts mes­sages of hate and vio­lence. Apple and Google later removed the app.

In a statement issued today blaming ADL for the failure of its previous efforts, Al-Manar said the app has been rereleased for the Android operating system and is "back on Ipad and Iphone applications via alternative ways, following the campaign carried out by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League to deactivate Al-Manar applications on smart phones at Google Play and apple store."

"As terrorist groups adapt to new technologies and figure out ways to circumvent restrictions, it is critical for the industry to take appropriate action to ensure that their services are not exploited by terror organizations," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "We will continue to monitor and expose how Hezbollah and other ter­ror­ist orga­ni­za­tions use cur­rent tech­nol­ogy to spread their vio­lent mes­sages and to work with Internet service companies to see to it that terrorists don't succeed in evading industry safeguards designed to prevent the use of these platforms to promote terrorism. Now more than ever, the stakes are too high to be complacent."

Hezbollah is a U.S. des­ig­nated For­eign Ter­ror­ist Orga­ni­za­tion, and Al-Manar was listed as a "Spe­cially Des­ig­nated Global Ter­ror­ist" by the Depart­ment of the Trea­sury in 2006.

Al-Manar broad­casts the ter­ror­ist group's mes­sages of hate and vio­lence, dis­sem­i­nates anti-Semitic and anti-American pro­pa­ganda and glo­ri­fies sui­cide bomb­ings to mil­lions of view­ers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Al-Manar has a pres­ence on other inter­net plat­forms as well, includ­ing a Twit­ter account with over 17,000 fol­low­ers and 51,000 mes­sages.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.