By Gilad Atzmon

On 16.1.2018, as I was preparing a crowdfunding to help me to pay legal bills incurred by the recent libel case against me, I received an email from PayPal ‘Brand Risk’ Management. The letter said,

“We have recently reviewed your usage of PayPal’s services, as reflected in our records and on your website https://www.gilad.co.uk/. Due to the nature of your activities, we have chosen to discontinue service to you in accordance with PayPal’s User Agreement. As a result, we have placed a permanent limitation on your account.”

This was a surprise to me since my website is both an artistic and an intellectual platform. There is no hate or other inappropriate content on my site nor in any of my writings. I have never been challenged by any law enforcement body anywhere in the world.

It is likely that PayPal succumbed to pressure from one Zionist body or another. Their objective is obviously a crude attempt to interfere with my ability to raise the necessary funds for me to avoid risking bankruptcy.

I wrote to PayPal’s so called 'Brand Risk’ Management and asked for the information that had led them to their ‘conclusion.’ On 27.11.2018 I received an email from PayPal stating “as indicated in our letter to you of November 16, 2018, your account was permanently limited following our recent review of your account usage. We regrettably are not able to provide you with information about the basis of that action beyond what is included in our initial letter.”

Our universe is rapidly becoming a Kafkaesque nightmare. It is removed from law or impartiality. It is tyrannical and authoritarian. But all of that shouldn’t take any of us by surprise.

I would ask that you kindly write to PayPal at aup@paypal.com cc service@paypal.com and to express your dismay with the way they handle their operation.

And if you see the need to support my fight for free speech, you may do so at: https://donorbox.org/gilad-needs-additional-support
Or, alternatively using the donate button:

Donate

Sincerely

Gilad Atzmon

Update:

Following the above many people wrote to Paypal and myself. More than a few terminated their relationship with the company until PayPal clarifies its position and produces some explanations. Here are a few of the emails sent to Paypal by supporters of freedom of speech:

I just read Gilad's post here: https://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/2018/12/5/paypal-or-z-pal

I find this extremely disturbing. As Gilad says - and as a regular subscriber to his blog, I can testify to the truth of this - "There is no hate or other inappropriate content on my site nor in any of my writings. I have never been challenged by any law enforcement body anywhere in the world."

So, given that, I think it is incumbent upon you to clearly identify the basis of your decision - and to please think about the question what gives you the right to be the arbiter of free expression?

I have suspended my own use of Paypal until some answers are forthcoming.

Dr B D

Based on your recent decision to cancel Gilad Atzmon’s account, I will no longer be using your services. I am cancelling my Paypal, Venmo and EBay accounts.

Thank you.
D N

Dear Paypal,
Given your arbitrary treatment of Gilad Atzmon, I have decided not to have anything further to do with you or your related services, eg ebay.
Yours
N Grave

Gilad,

Just to let you know that I asked PayPal why they had closed your account. Within a couple of hours they cancelled my PayPal account. Unbelievable and very disturbing of course. But in an odd way I’m glad as I won’t be tempted to use them.

Stephen

Dear PayPal,

I wish to register my great dismay at the news that PayPal has chosen to discontinue the service to Gilad Atzmon.

In a world that has been turned upside down by corruption, injustice and deceit, it is very sad to see a company like PayPal succumb to pressure and decide to hinder Gilad’s ability to fund the legal bills for the libel case against him - his only crime being his honesty, integrity and willing to stand up for Justice and Truth .

You strike a blow against decency and hope for a better world; I sincerely hope that you will reverse this decision and use your corporate might to support the sort of people who actively work to make the world a better place for all, ( not just for some !! )

In anticipation and hope ,

Sincerely

Nadia S

Dear PayPal,
I have received and email today with dismay that you have put a restriction on Gilad Atzmon’s PayPal account and that I am now unable to use my PayPal account to transfer monies to his account. I also understand this was done without explanation, although it’s not hard to work out why.

This creates a dilemma for me and numerous friends as to wether we, and more specifically I can’t morally justify using your services, whilst you obey political lobbies and ignore the will of your customers. Can you explain to me what is the exact nature of his activities is so contravening?

Some time ago I wrote to Airbnb relative to promoting properties listed in the Occupied Territories, I told them that I could no longer use their services whilst they continued to do this and closed my account. Why should they take notice of little old me? However, recently they capitulated. I now know do to this and other such protests that online activism does actually works eventually.

Therefore I ask you for a full and transparent explanation, otherwise it will be hard for me not to come to the same conclusion as with Airbnb that PayPal is part of the problem, by that I mean, complicit in the curtailment of free speech and supporters of apartheid.
Yours sincerely,

G. Lyne

Dear Madam/Sir,
I hear that you have chosen to discontinue your services to Mr Gilad Atzmon “due to the nature of his activities”:
I simply do not understand why his “activities” should cause you to stop him from using you way of payment. I would have thought that finance is your one concern and that losing a client doesn’t help your business.
May I ask: Are you in the habit of checking on all your clients, myself included? If so, I feel obliged to say that it is totally unacceptable.
I do expect a detailed, honest explanation from you.
Sincerely,
Mrs CJ C

I understand PayPal has withdrawn Gilad Atzmon’s account facilities.

Gilad is a recording artist who relies on PayPal to allow his followers to buy his products. He is also a writer and political activist who has angered Israeli nationalists, aka Zionists, by being a prominent Israeli who is also an opponent of the Israeli government. Because he is not resident in Israel, that government has little power to suppress his free expression and must seek indirect means to limit its effectiveness.

PayPal has no business acquiescing to such pressure. Gilad has not engaged in nor advocated any criminal act, but has merely exercised his right to free speech, recognised in this country though not in Israel.

I urge you to reverse your unwarranted limitation of his account.

Anthony W.

Dear PayPal
I was very concerned to learn that you have decided to withdraw your service from Gilad Atzmon. Gilad is an Israeli jazz musician who has tirelessly challenged the Israeli state regarding its appalling treatment of the Palestinian people. He speaks out on behalf of oppressed people and cares about humanity and free speech. He does not engage in hate speech or encourage hatred towards any person or group. Withdrawing his service is a worrying development and suggests that PayPal has been pressurized by external sources.

Please investigate this miscarriage of justice and restore Gilad's service so that he can continue his work as a musician and activist for free speech.

Regards
Sam