Bastion of “free speech” X (formerly Twitter) has removed the account of Egyptian-American comedian, intellectual, and activist Bassem Youssef X, with his profile now showing “this account doesn’t exist,” The National reported.
The Egyptian-American comedian’s account, @BYoussef, was taken down shortly after he criticized the use of the term “anti-Semitism” as a “fear tactic” on X.
Youssef’s last post on Monday, which stirred controversy, argued that the term is often abused to stifle conversations and intimidate people.
The comedian’s post challenged the weaponization of anti-Semitism in discussions about Israel’s attack on Gaza.
Youssef’s comment read, “Anti-Semitism was an accusation that used to freeze the blood in people’s veins. I see many people now realizing how this fear tactic is used to shut down conversations and scare people.”
Hours after the post, Youssef’s X account was either banned or temporarily suspended, although it is not clear which. The National reached out to X and Youssef for clarification.
According to X’s Help Center, accounts may be suspended for spam, hacking, or abuse. “When an account engages in abusive behaviour . . . , we may suspend it temporarily or, in some cases, permanently,” according to the Center’s guidance.
The removal of Youssef’s account has drawn criticism from a number of users. Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis, with over a million followers, tweeted that the removal was due to Youssef’s critique of Israeli actions.
Human rights lawyer Qays Sediqi also condemned the move, asking, “Elon, what happened to free speech? Fix up, lad!!”
Youssef, known for his scathing critiques of the Israeli government’s “genocide” in Gaza, gained attention last year for his dark humor on Israeli-Palestinian conflict issues.
His comments included controversial statements about the resilience of Palestinians and personal anecdotes related to his Palestinian wife.
In subsequent interviews, Youssef discussed the misuse of “anti-Semitism” and expressed concerns about its impact on Jewish and Palestinian communities.
The removal of Youssef’s account highlights the ongoing debates over social media policies and the balance between free speech and content moderation.
The incident underscores the challenges of navigating sensitive political discussions online, particularly where the platform on which they occur does not serve as a non-partisan, open public square but uses the platform’s algorithms to buttress its own position and suppress opposing views.