JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s government has asked Apple Inc. to remove from its App Store an application called "ThirdIntifada" that encourages an uprising against Israel.
Israel’s Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein made the request Tuesday in a letter sent to Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs.
The Thirdintifada application, available for free download from the Apple App Store, updates users on anti-Israel protests or allows them to organize their own. It also features anti-Israel articles and photos of terrorists who have attacked Israel or Israelis.
In his letter, Edelstein called the application "anti-Israel and anti-Zionist."
"I believe Apple, as a pioneering and progressive company, places the values of liberty, freedom of expression and creativity as a guiding light. Also, as a leader in its area, I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application’s ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous," Edelstein wrote.
In March, Edelman appealed to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to remove a page called "Third Intifada" that called for a new uprising against Israel. The page was subsequently removed, though copycat pages arose in its place.
