The Etsy logo displays on a smartphone screen in Athens, Greece, on October 20, 2024. Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis via Reuters Connect
A voluntary organization of British lawyers who support Israel have accused the American e-commerce company Etsy of violating its own policies and also possibly law in the United Kingdom by selling threatening, anti-Israel merchandise.
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) said on Monday that Etsy is selling several T-shirts and stickers that feature the slogan “F—k Israel” and an inverted red triangle symbol over the words. The inverted red triangle has been used to glorify and signify support for violent Palestinian resistance against Israel, especially by Hamas, which has used the symbol in propaganda videos showing its terrorists attacking Israeli military targets.
UKLFI reported to Etsy that these T-shirts and stickers breach the company’s own “prohibited items policy,” which states that the online marketplace does not allow the selling of merchandise “that promote, support, or glorify hatred, those that promote, support, or glorify violence, or are unlawful.” The selling of the threatening anti-Israel items also breach Etsy’s policy on “anti-discrimination and hateful content” and may be in violation of UK law, according to UKLFI.
Wearing the offensive merchandise in public in the UK may breach the Public Order Act 1986, which prohibits displaying material that is threatening, abusive, insulting, and intended or likely to incite racial hatred, including within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm, or distress. The items may also breach Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.
“We hope that Etsy removes these offensive items which breach their policies and seem to be designed to stir up hatred,” said a spokesperson for the British group.
Explaining its policy against items that promote or glorify hate, Etsy states on its website: “We want Etsy to be a community where people of all backgrounds, nationalities, religions, and even different types of artistic taste and humor feel welcome. Art is incredibly subjective, and what is offensive to one is not necessarily offensive to others.”
However, UKLFI said, “Despite these laudable aims, Etsy’s site is being used to sell clothing and stickers which are offensive to Jews and Israelis, and would not make Israelis or Jews feel welcome in the Etsy community.”
Etsy did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner‘s request for comment regarding UKLFI’s allegations.
