Sweet Victory is Sweet Seventeen - Timnas Indonesia U17 1 vs Korsel 0 Piala Asia

Duel Timnas Korea Selatan U-17 vs Timnas Indonesia U-17 di Piala Asia U-17 2025.
©Dok. PSSI

Piala Asia U17 2025 menjadi awal Sweet Victpry is Sweet Seventeen bagi Timnas Indonesia U-17. Timnas Indonesia dengan gemilang mengalahkan Korea Selatan dengan skor 1-0. Gol dicetak Evandra Florasta di injury time, hadiah dari tendangan pinalti.

Laga Timnas Indonesia vs Korea Selatan tersaji di pertandingan perdana Grup C Piala Asia U-17 2025. Duel berlangsung di Stadion Prince Abdullah Al Faisal, Jeddah, hari Jumat, 04/04/2025, malam WIB.

Pada babak pertama, Korsel lebih banyak menguasai bola dan menyerang. Kim Yegeon memberikan ancaman serius kepada Indonesia pada menit ke-11 saat tendangan kaki kirinya digagalkan oleh mistar gawang.

Tiga menit kemudian, Indonesia membalas serangan Korsel dengan peluang satu lawan satu yang didapatkan Mierza Fijatullah. Namun striker bernomor punggung 9 itu ragu-ragu dalam mengeksekusi bola sehingga peluang emas itu terbuang sia-sia.

Pada 15 menit terakhir, gawang Indonesia masih belum lepas dari gelombang serangan Taeguk Warriors Muda. Kesalahan antisipasi bola Putu Panji membuat Jung Heejung mendapatkan bola muntah. Heejung menendang bola dengan keras, namun masih menyamping.

Lima menit setelahnya, Yegeon memberikan ancamannya lagi dengan tendangan kaki kirinya yang menyamping di sisi kiri gawang setelah diblok oleh Putu Panji.

Pada menit ke-45, Yegeon menunjukkan bahwa dirinya menjadi pemain berbahaya. Setelah berkali-kali mengancam lewat tembakannya, kali ini pemain bernomor 10 itu memberikan umpan kunci di mulut gawang kepada Lim Yechan yang masih tak menemui sasaran. Skor babak pertama berakhir dengan 0-0.

Korea Selatan dominan di babak pertama dengan 9 shots (2 on target). Namun, Indonesia mampu menahan imbang tanpa gol hingga masa jeda.

Memasuki babak kedua Korsel terlihat kesulitan menembus barisan pertahanan Garuda Asia yang dikawal Putu Panji dkk dengan laga memasuki satu jam pertandingan.

Dafa kemudian harus melakukan penyelamatan rendah ke gawangnya dari tembakan luar kotak penalti Jin Geonyoung. Gawang Garuda Asia pun bisa selamat setelah umpan silang Kim Jisung mengenai mistar sebelum tembakan Jang Woosik dari jarak dekat masih mengenai net samping pada menit ke-70.

Timnas U17 kemudian mendapatkan tendangan penjuru pertama laga pada menit ke-74 walau eksekusi peluang masih mendarat langsung ke tangan kiper lawan.

Kemelut akibat lemparan ke dalam tersebut membuahkan penalti setelah bola mengenai salah satu pemain bertahan lawan dari jarak dekat.

Evandra Florasta maju untuk mengeksekusi tembakan dan mencetak gol setelah tembakan awalnya sempat ditepis kiper.

Ia menyambar bola muntah untuk menjebol gawang Korsel.

Garuda Asia pun bertahan sampai akhir dan mengamankan tiga poin penting dari laga perdana ini.

Timnas Indonesia U-17 kalahkan Korea Selatan di Piala Asia. (Foto: Dokumen PSSI)

Susunan Pemain

Indonesia U-17: Dafa Al Gasemi, Muhammad Al Gazani, Fabio Azkairawan, Daniel Alfrido, Mathew Baker, I Putu Apriawan; Evandra Florasta, Muhamad Zahaby Gholy, Nazriel Alfaro Syahdan; Fadly Alberto Hengga, Mochamad Mierza Fijatullah.

Korea Selatan U-17: Park Dohun; Kim Minichan, So Yoonwoo, Lim Yechan, Koo Hyeonbin; Park Byeongchan, Kim Yegeon, Kim Jihyuk, Oh Haram, Jon Geonyoung; Jung Heejung.

China strikes back at Trump with own tariffs, with 34% tax on US goods and export curbs

Shoppers in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday.
Getty Images

China has announced a slew of countermeasures against tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump, including additional tariffs of 34 percent on all goods and curbs on the export of some rare earths, deepening an escalating trade war.

Trump on Wednesday announced that China would be hit with a 34-percent tariff, on top of the 20 percent he imposed earlier this year, bringing the total new levies to 54 percent.

China on Friday struck back at the U.S tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump with a slew of countermeasures including extra levies of 34% on all U.S. goods and export curbs on some rare earths, deepening the trade war between the world's two biggest economies.

Beijing also imposed restrictions on about 30 U.S. organisations, mostly in defence-related industries, adding to the already two dozen U.S companies punished over Trump's tariffs.

Beijing's sweeping retaliation comes after Trump slapped the world's No. 2 economy with additional 34% tariffs on Chinese goods, bringing the total new levies this year to 54%. Trump also closed a trade loophole that had allowed low-value packages from China to enter the U.S duty-free.

"The U.S move is not in line with international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice," China's finance ministry said.

China called the new round of U.S tariffs a "blatant" violation of World Trade Organization rules and have requested consultations at the WTO.

Trump accused China of panicking in a comment on Truth Social.

"China played it wrong, they panicked - the one thing they cannot afford to do!", he wrote on Friday.

MATCHING DUTIES

China's finance ministry matched U.S. duties with additional tariffs of 34% on all U.S. goods from April 10, on top of the 10%-15% tariffs it imposed on some U.S. agriculture goods in March and 10%-15% tariffs on some energy and farming machinery in February.

Agricultural trade took a deeper hit as Chinese customs imposed an immediate suspension on imports of U.S. sorghum from C&D (USA) INC, as well as inbound shipments of poultry and bone meal from three U.S. firms.

China's biggest imports from the U.S. are soybeans, oilseeds and grains, amounting to $13.4 billion in 2024, as well as $14.7 billion of various fuels and $15.3 billion of electrical machinery, according to U.S. trade data.

"With 34% tariff it will not be possible for U.S. agricultural products to enter China. It is an opportunity for other exporters like Brazil and Australia to increase their market share in China," said Ole Houe, director of advisory services at IKON Commodities in Sydney.

RARE-EARTH CURBS

"As the old Chinese saying goes: 'Courtesy demands reciprocity'," said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, in a post on Facebook after the announcement of the Chinese countermeasures.

Beijing also announced controls on exports of medium and heavy rare-earths including samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium to the United States, effective April 4.

It added 16 U.S. entities to its export control list, which prohibits exports of dual-use items to the affected firms. The affected include 15 companies in industries including defence and aerospace, as well as non-profit group Coalition For A Prosperous America, which in the past had advocated for the Trump administration to decouple the U.S. economy from China.

Another 11 U.S. entities were added to the "unreliable entity" list, which allows Beijing to take punitive actions against foreign entities. The targeted firms include Skydio Inc. and BRINC Drones over arms sales to democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

It also launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of certain medical CT tubes from the U.S. and India, as well as an investigation into Dupont China Group, a subsidiary of the U.S. firm DuPont (DD.N), opens new tab, for alleged violation of China's anti-monopoly law.

"The application of the export controls on these key materials plus some of these additions to the unreliable entity list reflects China's growing tool-kit to retaliate in trade wars," said the Mercator Institute for China Studies' lead analyst for the economy Jacob Gunter.

The Chinese yuan has dropped to its lowest level in seven weeks and stock markets slumped on Thursday after Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariffs that were particularly heavy on China.

Trump has ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to determine whether China was living up to its commitments under the 2020 "phase 1" U.S.-China trade agreement by April 1.

The deal required China to increase purchases of U.S exports by $200 billion over a two-year period, but Beijing failed to meet its targets when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

China bought $154 billion in U.S goods in 2017, before the trade war began, Chinese customs data shows, and that figure rose to $164 billion last year.

"I used to buy some American products, but if the price increases I might buy less," said Huang Zhe, 24, who works in China's luxury sector.

How P.M Japan is reacting

In Japan, a top US trading partner, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the tariffs had created a “national crisis”, as a plunge in banking shares on Friday set Tokyo’s stock market on course for its worst week in years. European shares were also headed for the biggest weekly loss in three years.

But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday disputed any economic crash, telling reporters that markets were reacting to the change and would adjust.

“Their economies are not crashing. Their markets are reacting to a dramatic change in the global order in terms of trade,” he said at a media conference in Brussels. “The markets will adjust.”

Trump’s tariffs will turn EU economy into ‘decaying corpse’ – Medvedev

FILE PHOTO: Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
©Sputnik/Ekaterina Shtukina

The US imposition of “reciprocal” tariffs on EU exports has doomed the bloc’s economy, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said.

This week, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs in an attempt to improve America’s balance of trade, accusing the country’s economic partners of exploiting access to its consumer market through protectionist policies and currency manipulation.

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, remarked on Thursday that while the move seriously disrupts global commerce, Russia will be largely unaffected, as its trade with the US is virtually nonexistent.

The expression, which advises patient inaction, has been attributed by Western authors, including Umberto Eco, to various Eastern sources and may be a misinterpretation of a remark by Chinese philosopher Confucius, which does not mention dead bodies.

Outgoing German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has compared the potential impact to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Then too, “something new was happening, and we were not prepared in Europe to cope with the challenge,” he said during a press conference on Thursday.

Many other European politicians and media outlets have described the economic fallout from the tariffs as disastrous for member states. Washington, however, has warned that any retaliatory steps would be met with further measures.

Medvedev has previously called out Brussels for being incompetent and irrationally hostile toward Russia. In an effort to punish Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, Brussels has sought to cut off energy imports from the country entirely. The economic bloc has also imposed sweeping sanctions, significantly reducing direct trade.

Critics of the policy, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, argue that it has led to a dramatic decline in the competitiveness of EU products, inflicting substantial economic damage.

Canada and the EU swiftly retaliate against Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs

Major trade partners swiftly hit back at President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, imposing stiff new taxes on U.S products from textiles and water heaters to beef and bourbon.

Canada, the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S., said Wednesday it will place 25% reciprocal tariffs on steel products and also raise taxes on a host of items: tools, computers and servers, display monitors, sports equipment, and cast-iron products.

Across the Atlantic, the European Union will raise tariffs on American beef, poultry, bourbon and motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans.

Combined, the new tariffs will cost companies billions of dollars, and further escalate the uncertainty in two of the world’s major trade partnerships. Companies will either take the losses and earn fewer profits, or, more likely, pass costs along to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Prices will go up, in Europe and the United States, and jobs are at stake, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers,” von der Leyen said.

European stock markets closed lower on Thursday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's stronger-than-expected trade tariffs announcements.

The regional Stoxx 600 index ended down around 2.7%. Big retail names with global supply chains suffered, with German sportswear retailer Adidas falling 11%.

Shipping giant Maersk, widely viewed as a barometer for world trade, was 9.5% lower.

The Stoxx Autos index dropped 3.9% as Trump's 25% tariffs on imported vehicles to the U.S. took effect and added to existing new duties on steel and aluminum.

Other sectors deeply in the red included banks, down 5.6%, and technology, lower by 4.5%. Utilities stocks, traditionally a defensive play in times of market turmoil, rose nearly 3%.

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 1.6%, with France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX posting deeper losses of 3.3% and 3.1%, respectively.

The U.S.' biggest economic rival China was hit with a new 34% tariff rate which will come on top of the existing 20% tariffs on U.S. imports from China, taking the effective total tariffs to 54%.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to the tariffs announcements by saying the European Union is preparing further countermeasures against U.S. tariffs if negotiations fail.

Meanwhile, France's President Emmanuel Macron responded by urging French companies to pause planned investments in the U.S., saying tariffs are a shock for international trade.

Gunung Gede Belum Erupsi Berstatus Siaga 1 Masyarakat Dihimbau Tidak terpancing dengan informasi Yang Tak Dapat Dipertanggungjawabkan

Kawah Gunung Gede Pangrango (ANTARA)

Badan Geologi mengungkapkan Gunung Gede, Jawa Barat, saat ini berstatus aktif di Level I (Normal) walau ada peningkatan kegempaan vulkanik, sehingga masyarakat diimbau untuk tetap tenang.

Berdasarkan data Badan Geologi, aktivitas Gunung Gede meningkat sejak 1 April 2025 hingga Kamis ini yang tercatat ada 47 gempa vulkanik dalam, satu kali gempa tektonik lokal, dan satu kali gempa tektonik jauh.

"Gunung Gede belum meletus, saat ini (memang) tercatat adanya peningkatan aktivitas kegempaan vulkanik, namun belum ada erupsi dan statusnya masih di Level I. Kondisi ini masih terus kami pantau secara intensif," kata Kepala Badan Geologi M Wafid pada ANTARA dalam pesan singkat di Bandung, Kamis.

Masyarakat diimbau tetap tenang, meski dalam beberapa hari termasuk pada Kamis ini tercatat ada beberapa gempa dalam skala kecil yang tercatat di wilayah Kabupaten Bandung, Cianjur, dan Sukabumi, karena menurut dia gempa ini belum menunjukkan keterkaitan dengan aktivitas Gunung Gede.

Masyarakat diimbau tidak terpancing dengan informasi yang tak dapat dipertanggungjawabkan terkait aktivitas Gunung Gede, dan selalu mengikuti arahan dari otoritas terkait serta update resmi dari Badan Geologi dan PVMBG.

Balai Besar Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (TNGGP) sudah memperpanjang penutupan jalur pendakian hingga 7 April 2025, karena terjadi peningkatan gempa vulkanik Gunung Gede yang berpotensi menimbulkan letusan freatik atau embusan gas gunung api.

Masyarakat di kaki Gunung Gede juga diharapkan untuk meningkatkan kesiapsiagaan dan kewaspadaan serta tidak menuruni, mendekati, dan bermalam dalam radius 600 meter dari Kawah Wadon, karena Gunung Gede meski belum meletus, tetapi berpotensi mengeluarkan gas gunung api yang berbahaya terutama dalam radius 600 meter dari Kawah Wadon tersebut.

Jalur Pendakian Ditutup

Kepala Badan Geologi, Muhammad Wafid, menjelaskan lonjakan kegempaan ini cukup signifikan dibandingkan kondisi sebelumnya

“Pada tanggal 1 April 2024, dalam rentang pukul 00.00 hingga 06.00 WIB, terjadi peningkatan gempa vulkanik dalam hingga mencapai 21 kejadian. Sebagai perbandingan, rata-rata kejadian gempa vulkanik dalam di Gunung Gede selama periode 1-31 Maret 2024 hanya berkisar 0-1 kali per hari,” kata Wafid, dikutip dari laman ESDM, Selasa (1/4). Meski demikian, status Gunung Gede masih berada di Level I (Normal).

Sehubungan dengan peningkatan aktivitas vulkanik ini, pihak Balai Besar Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (TNGGP) memutuskan untuk menutup sementara jalur pendakian. Keputusan ini tertuang dalam surat edaran SE.18 Tahun 2025 yang ditandatangani Kepala Balai Besar TNGGP, Ahdi Nurul Hadi.

US ignoring Ukraine’s energy ceasefire violations – Kremlin

©Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov

Washington is ignoring Kiev’s violations of a US-mediated moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure in the conflict with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Last month, US President Donald Trump successfully urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause strikes on energy sites. While Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky publicly endorsed the moratorium, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported attacks against Russian infrastructure since the agreement was announced on March 18.

”Kiev’s breaches of the moratorium, or rather its tacit refusal to comply, continue,” Peskov said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

He added that Moscow has been informing Washington about the violations, but “there has been no reaction to this situation and the actions of the Kiev regime.”

While Moscow is supportive of the proposal, Putin stressed that any suspension of the hostilities must include measures to prevent Kiev from using the pause to strengthen its military before resuming combat. He suggested that a full ceasefire would require a halt to Ukraine’s mobilization drive and an end to Western military aid.

Last Sunday, Trump expressed his frustration with Putin during a phone call with NBC News, criticizing the Russian leader’s recent comments in which he questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy. Trump threatened stricter sanctions on Russia if progress cannot be made in peace negotiations and if he considers Moscow to be at fault.

On Monday, however, Trump said he believes Putin is genuinely seeking to end the conflict and would “follow through” on any agreements made with him.

Germany deploys troops to Russia’s doorstep for first time since the Nazis

The German military has begun its first permanent deployment of troops on foreign soil since World War II. The 45th Armored Brigade is being positioned in Lithuania, near Russian ally Belarus, as Berlin prepares for a potential conflict in the coming years.

On Tuesday, a ceremony was held outside Vilnius, with Brigadier General Christoph Huber assuming command of the newly established unit, as reported by the German Bundeswehr Association (DBwV) lobby group and state media.

”We have a clear mission. We have to ensure the protection, freedom, and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO’s eastern flank,” the general said during the ceremony.

Military personnel who arrived in Lithuania last year to prepare for the deployment have been formally integrated into the brigade. Once fully staffed and combat-ready by 2027, the unit will comprise approximately 5,000 military and civilian personnel, equipped with around 2,000 heavy weapons, according to German Army plans.

Moscow views NATO as a hostile entity, describing its expansion in Europe as a direct threat to Russian national security. The bloc’s pledge to admit Ukraine as a member and its increasing involvement with the nation have been cited by Russian officials as key causes of Moscow’s conflict with Kiev. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, a staunch advocate for troop deployment in Lithuania, has claimed that Russia could launch an attack on NATO by 2029 or 2030 – a claim that Moscow categorically rejects.

In 2023, Berlin and Vilnius signed a stationing agreement, initially designating the new German unit as the 42nd Brigade. Two of its battalions will consist exclusively of German soldiers, while the third will incorporate personnel from other NATO countries. Portions of the brigade will be stationed at the Rudninkai training ground in southeastern Lithuania, only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Belarusian border, while additional units will be stationed near the village of Rukla between Vilnius and Kaunas.

Post-Nazi Germany previously restricted military deployments abroad to temporary assignments, such as contributing to NATO forces following the occupation of Afghanistan in 2001.

The West is breaking up, here is what Russia and China must do

Russia and China have emerged in recent years as standard-bearers of a world that aspires to multipolarity, sovereignty, and respect for international law. Their strategic partnership, tested by global crises and geopolitical turbulence, now serves as a cornerstone of what is often called the “world majority” – a growing group of states seeking independence in foreign policy and development.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping, left, during the plenary session of the Outreach/BRICS Plus meeting. ©Sputnik/Sputnik

Despite intense Western pressure, including sanctions and information campaigns, Moscow and Beijing have preserved and even deepened their cooperation. This partnership is not only important to both countries, but it also carries global significance. It is a model for how major powers can challenge hegemonic structures while remaining committed to international norms.

As Russia and China consolidate their own partnership, they must also pay close attention to major changes underway in the Western world. These changes, particularly in the United States and Europe, are opening new opportunities – but also bring risks that must be understood and addressed.

Fractures in the Western bloc

First, there is growing divergence between the United States and its European allies. We have seen Western European capitals express dismay and confusion over several decisions from Washington, indicating a widening strategic gap. As these countries try to recalibrate in response to an increasingly unpredictable United States, mutual misunderstandings are multiplying. What was once a coherent and unified “collective West” is now a patchwork of competing interests and visions.

This fragmentation deserves close attention from Russian and Chinese policymakers and experts. A coordinated approach to monitoring US-EU relations and engaging in joint analysis will be essential for navigating the future.

Second, internal divisions are widening within the political elites of Western countries. One camp recognizes the need to adapt to global shifts and internal socioeconomic challenges. Another clings to outdated globalist models, attempting to preserve Western dominance without addressing the root causes of their decline.

This internal rift is especially evident in the United States, where political polarization has become extreme. The outcome of this struggle is far from clear. But it may result in more erratic and aggressive foreign policies, including toward Russia and China. Western elites may try to externalize their internal failures by escalating global tensions. Moscow and Beijing must be prepared for this possibility.

Strategic economic cooperation

The Russia-China economic relationship has proven resilient, even in the face of relentless US and European attempts to isolate both powers. Still, recent years have revealed vulnerabilities. Threats of sanctions and secondary pressure have disrupted trade flows and delayed projects. A critical task for both governments is to identify weak points and develop safeguards.

By insulating their cooperation from external interference, Russia and China can reinforce mutual trust and build an even stronger foundation for political alignment. This will be especially important as Western pressure continues.

The role of Europe

Western Europe remains a complex factor in global affairs. Its economic weight is still significant, especially for China, and its cultural and political evolution bears close watching. Russian and Chinese analysts sometimes differ in their assessments of the region’s future role. But neither side should ignore it.

Upcoming political changes across European states could open the door for more pragmatic leadership. If so, Moscow and Beijing must be ready to engage. Even now, despite deteriorating ties, Western Europe remains an important partner and a variable in the broader strategic equation.

Countering Western divide-and-rule tactics

US policymakers have made no secret of their interest in weakening the Russia-China partnership. Some have floated the idea of pulling Moscow away from Beijing to prevent a deeper Eurasian consolidation. These efforts will intensify, especially if US-China relations worsen.

We should expect Washington to seek separate dialogues with Russia and China on issues such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and nuclear arms control. The goal will be to highlight differences and create the illusion of divergent interests.

Such moves must be met with caution and solidarity. There are no serious contradictions between Russia and China that could compare with the historical tensions of the mid-20th century. The current strategic alignment is based on shared values and practical interests. But this unity must be constantly reinforced at both the governmental and societal levels.

Expanding societal and scientific ties

Public perceptions in both countries still carry traces of old stereotypes. While progress has been made in people-to-people exchanges, educational programs, and academic cooperation, more can be done. Greater collaboration in science, education, and cultural initiatives can deepen mutual understanding and eliminate lingering mistrust.

A stronger societal foundation for the bilateral relationship will make it more resistant to external manipulation. The political will exists; now it must be translated into concrete initiatives.

Toward a shared Eurasian future

Finally, China and Russia share responsibility for shaping a peaceful and prosperous Greater Eurasia. They are both committed to preventing external interference and managing conflicts across the continent. Coordinating their strategies for development, connectivity, and conflict resolution in this vast region is not only desirable – it is imperative.

The future of Eurasia depends in large part on how effectively Moscow and Beijing can harmonize their visions. This is not merely an academic debate but a real-world challenge with lasting implications.

Conclusion

Russia and China are navigating an era of profound global change. Their partnership has already become one of the most consequential in world politics. But the shifting dynamics of the West, particularly the emerging crises within the United States and Europe, present both dangers and opportunities.

To protect and advance their shared interests, Russia and China must act strategically: studying Western developments, reinforcing their own cooperation, countering divide-and-rule tactics, and deepening ties across all levels of society. Together, they can help shape a world order that is more just, stable, and representative of the true diversity of global power.

Meta Facebook & Axel Springe profits as ads promote illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Israeli soldiers at the fence around the illegal settlement in Beit Ummar, near Hebron, on January 31, 2015 [Abed al-Hashlamoun/EPA]

Facebook has platformed more than 100 paid advertisements promoting illegal settlements and far-right settler activity in the occupied West Bank, an Al Jazeera investigation has found, raising concerns that the social media giant is profiting from content that may violate international law.

Among the advertisements identified were also calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, and playgrounds, as well as fundraising appeals for Israeli military units operating in Gaza.

Facebook’s parent company Meta told Al Jazeera that any advertisements that ran on its platforms were reviewed by the company. While it admitted that some of the advertisements had since been removed for “violating our social issues, elections, and politics policies”, it did not specify whether the promotion of illegal settlements built on stolen Palestinian land breached those standards.

Legal experts told Al Jazeera that Meta could be complicit in violations of international law by approving, accepting payment, and publishing these advertisements. Brian Leishman, an MP in the United Kingdom parliament, described the findings as “extremely concerning”.

Illegal settlements advertised on Facebook

At least 52 paid advertisements from Israeli real estate companies were found promoting property sales in settlements across the occupied West Bank, targeting buyers from across Israel as well as some users in the UK and the United States. These advertisements were first published in March 2024, and many remain active on Facebook.

“We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad review system is designed to review ads before they go live,” Meta told Al Jazeera. “This system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our Advertising Standards to the millions of ads that run across our apps, while relying on our teams to build and train these systems, and in some cases, to manually review ads.”

Among the advertisements identified by Al Jazeera were at least four promoting property sales in the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel, 20km (12 miles) east of the Green Line in the occupied West Bank. The listings, written in Hebrew and targeting Israeli Facebook users, were paid for by a Facebook page called “Ramat Aderet”, which describes itself as offering “penthouses for a perfect quality of life”.

According to the website, the Ramat Aderet (Hillside Crown) project is “two neighbourhoods – north and south – with a total of 27 … buildings of between 4 to 8 floors. The apartments provide a complete urban living experience in a perfect neighbourhood.” The company has a valuation of $300m, according to PitchBook, a research firm and financial data provider.

Ramat Aderet did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The real estate company selling apartments and houses in Ariel is Ram Aderet, which has received financing from the First International Bank of Israel.

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has long called for a boycott of the bank over its role in financing illegal settlements. Following pressure, in January 2014, the Dutch pension fund PGGM withdrew investments from the bank, while insurance giant AXA divested in 2022.

Another 48 advertisements were posted by Gabai Real Estate, advertising homes in the occupied West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and the Efrat settlement.

These homes are part of an expansion approved in March 2024 by Israel’s “Higher Planning Committee”, which is overseen by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who, since 2023, no longer needs political or military approvals for expansion plans.

Yaniv Gabbay, the co-owner of Gabai Real Estate, told Al Jazeera: “Unfortunately, we were only able to post 48 ads because our budget is limited, and we advertise on many different platforms. But as we sell more homes to Jews returning home to Judea, our advertising budget will increase, and we can post more.”

Some Israelis refer to the occupied West Bank as Judea and Samaria, and the far-right government has made a push towards annexing the Palestinian territory.

The advertisements attempt to portray living in the settlements as idyllic. One lists an eight-bedroom mansion with a “huge garden, large succah area (seats 50+), above-ground pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, cold plunge, and breathtaking desert mountain views… A dream home just 20 minutes from Jerusalem! Don’t miss out!”

Carolina Are, a platform governance researcher at the Centre for Digital Citizens at Northumbria University, told Al Jazeera that “the real estate ads have been expertly framed as standard property listings, allowing them to elude moderation”.

“Moderators may not be aware of the nuances of international law either,” she added.

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Professor Aoife O’Donoghue, international law expert from Queen’s University Belfast, said: “On the West Bank, property can be privately bought and sold. However, whether they have the legal title to sell that land at all would be highly questionable.

“If the Israeli government is facilitating it, and they are settlements, then they would be in violation of the Third Geneva Convention. Here, the Israeli government has a duty to prevent illegal settlements.”

Settler groups pushing for demolitions

Al Jazeera also identified 50 advertisements posted by Regavim, a far-right settler group founded by Smotrich in 2006, that has called for the destruction of Palestinian homes, schools, and a children’s water park. The group receives funding from the Israeli government via the West Bank settlement councils, and also Amana, another pro-settlement organisation sanctioned by the UK and US governments.

One advertisement celebrated the demolition of a Palestinian school, boasting: “Following our petition, Civil Administration forces tore down an illegal Palestinian school built in the Herodian Nature Reserve… This school is only one out of more than 100 illegal school buildings.”

Another advertisement called for a Palestinian water park to be demolished, claiming: “Palestinians are enjoying themselves at our expense.”

Regavim defended the campaign against the school, saying it was “built for the sole purpose of creating confrontation”.

“[It] was deemed by the [Israeli] courts to pose a very serious and imminent danger to the safety and wellbeing of the Palestinian children who were being bussed in to fill the makeshift structure,” Naomi Linder Kahn of Regavim said.

The European Union has previously con-demned the demolition of schools in the West Bank, and Human Rights Watch has described the practice as “discriminatory and violates children’s right to education”.

In October last year, nearly 90 US legislators urged then-President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on Regavim.

Regavim denies being a far-right or settler group, instead claiming to be a “mainstream, professional contributor to public discourse and is a frequent participant in national policy discussion and debate”.

But Leishman, the British MP, said: “Revelations that Israeli far-right pro-settler groups as well as businesses – and allegedly even active Israeli soldiers – may be using social media to promote what could be seen as illegal under international law are extremely concerning.”

Facebook fundraisers for Israeli soldiers in Gaza

Beyond settlement expansion, Meta has also platformed fundraising advertisements for Israeli military units operating in Gaza, even after a ceasefire was declared.

Legal experts say allowing such advertisements may violate international humanitarian law by promoting military operations in occupied territory

Nine advertisements, paid for by Israeli singer Mayer Malik, sought donations for sniper teams, drone units, and special forces battalions deployed in Gaza. One advertisement, still active on Facebook, reads: “We urgently need shooting tripods to complete our mission in Jabalia.”

Other advertisements requested funding for drones for the Yasar Battalion and an elite Israeli army unit in Rafah, as well as night-vision goggles for the Golani Brigade.

Malik did not respond to two requests for comment from Al Jazeera.

According to Meta’s advertising guidelines, “Ads must not promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition or explosives. This includes ads for weapon modification accessories.”

Professor Neve Gordon of Queen Mary University, UK, said: “Facebook is making money from criminal activity.

“By allowing third parties to post such ads, Facebook becomes complicit in their criminal activity, since the ads themselves play a role in whitewashing, normalising and legitimising acts that, according to international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute, are egregious crimes.”

Leishman added: “Social media giants should be a lot more careful about what they allow to appear on their platforms, rather than profiteering from organisations with a dangerous and divisive agenda.

“It is time for them to start taking responsibility so that they are not complicit in systematic violations of international law.

“Everyone is under an obligation not to recognise, aid or assist in maintaining the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory – social media giants are not exempt or above the law.”

German Media Giant Axel Springer advertises Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank through its classified ads website Yad2; Incl. Co.

"German Media Giant Axel Springer Makes Money on Israel's Illegal Settlements", 5th February 2024

The entrance of the Axel Springer building on May 6, 2019, in Berlin. Photo: Sven Braun/picture alliance via Getty Images

One of the ways Germany sought to deal with its dark 20th-century past is its so-called Staatsräson — literally its reason of state — to support Israel. The commitment, which permeates German mass media, intensified after Hamas’s October 7 attack and the subsequent Israeli war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The owners of Bild, Germany’s leading newspaper, Springer takes an unwavering pro-Israel stance. “God bless the IDF,” Die Welt, a Springer-owned German daily, declared in a recent editorial. And the company’s CEO wrote in Springer-owned Politico that the chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” were tantamount to calling for genocide against Jews, a position in line with the German government’s November declaration that the slogan was illegal.

Defending Israel against criticisms of human rights violations, however, is one thing. Making money off those violations is another. Yet that’s exactly what Springer appears to be doing. Springer’s Israeli classified ads website Yad2 — the largest Craigslist-like classifieds site in the country — publishes real estate listings across Israel, including rental apartments and sales in Israeli settlements that are considered illegal under international law.

In December, Yad2 took out its own advertisement in an Israeli business paper to promote home sales on its site. “From the River to the Sea,” the ad, which appeared in The Marker, says in English, depicting a map of Israel and Palestine with pins dropped all over. The map has no “Green Line” or other markings separating Israel’s internationally recognized borders and occupied Palestinian territory. Below the co-opted protest slogan, the ad continues in Hebrew: “Yad2 helps you look forward and build a future in your next home in Israel.”...

“Advertising on the website is free for private users,” a representative for Yad2 said in response to an inquiry. “Business users are required to pay according to the terms of the site.” Paid listings, which are highlighted on the site, allow advertisers to increase their reach, they added.

The Intercept found thousands of apartments for sale and for rent in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Of those, more than 1,000 were paid ads from brokerage houses — meaning Yad2, and therefore Axel Springer, made money on them. Some of the ads, according to an expert who scanned the listings for The Intercept, are for homes in so-called outposts, or settlements considered illegal under even Israeli law; other home listings appear on private Palestinian land that was seized by the Israeli military for security purposes but now hosts Jewish settlers...

Palestinians — including stateless Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as those from Jerusalem or Israel proper who hold Israeli IDs or citizenship — cannot in practice buy or rent in Jewish-only settlements.

“Discrimination has no place at Axel Springer,” said a spokesperson for the company. “This is clearly regulated in our Code of Conduct, which applies to all companies at Axel Springer and is available in several languages, including Hebrew. Axel Springer speaks out clearly — also in the essentials — against any kind of racism. Yad2’s terms of use explicitly state that no one may be discriminated against on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or age.” (In fact, Yad2’s terms of use prohibit users from posting “harassing, insulting, hostile, threatening, rude, racist character or content” but don’t explicitly bar discrimination.) Springer did not respond to questions about paid and unpaid advertising for settlement homes on Yad2...

“Companies engaging in this are benefiting from a system that systematically discriminates against Palestinians, that denies them building permits and resources and roads and infrastructure,” [Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch] told The Intercept. “They’re also helping to make settlements more sustainable economically and thus further entrench the settlements practice.”...