Israel
Apple pulls Third Intifada app
June 22, 2011: 8:10 PM ETThe decision follows an official request from the Israeli government
Apple (AAPL) on Wednesday removed a controversial application from the App Store after a Jewish human rights group and a top Israeli official complained that it contained anti-Semitic content and promoted violence against Israel.
The app, "The Third Intifada," passed along anti-Israeli news and alerted users of upcoming protests against Israel.
"Intifada" -- literally "shaking off" -- is the Arabic term for two violent uprisings against Israel.
On Tuesday, Yuli Edelstein, Israel's minister for diplomacy and diaspora affairs sent a letter to Steve Jobs asking Apple to pull the app.
"We removed this app from the App Store because it violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people," an Apple spokesman said Wednesday evening.
The developers of Third Intifada launched a similar Facebook page about three months ago, but the page was removed after the Israeli government expressed concern.
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Why Israel lifted its iPad ban
The official explanation for seizing the devices at the airport never did make sense
On the face of it, Israel's decision Saturday night to allow iPads to be brought into the country was a straightforward reversal of a sensibly cautious import policy.
At least 20 iPads purchased in the U.S. had been seized at Ben-Gurion Airport, confiscated and held in storage for 45 shekels ($12) a day -- a fee that now MORE
Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Apr 25, 2010 8:01 AM ET
