Why did Amazon blacklist – and then permit – two books based on Oct. 7 testimonies?
Citing ‘violation of company guidelines,’ online seller blocked 2 titles about the Hamas atrocities from sale this summer; company spokesperson denies anti-Israel bias at play
Reporter at The Times of Israel
A book featuring October 7 testimonies that was temporarily banned by Amazon later rose to the top spot in its category.
Author Alon Penzel, 23, penned “Testimonies Without Boundaries,” in the aftermath of the Hamas massacres, in which 1,200 people in Israel were murdered and 251 kidnapped. Shortly after the book’s publication in June, Amazon banned the title for a two-week period, Penzel told The Times of Israel.
“I can’t tell you exactly for sure 100% why they did it. They didn’t actually give an explanation why they blocked it except for violation of their company guidelines,” said Penzel.
“Testimonies Without Boundaries” includes the accounts of 60 victims and eyewitnesses to the Hamas atrocities. Some of the testimonies are “exclusive,” said Penzel.
Two weeks after the ban, Penzel received an email from Amazon saying his book was off its blacklist, he said.
This summer, Penzel’s book rose to the top spot of several Amazon lists, including “violence against women” (in the UK) and “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” (US). The book is set for publication in several languages and will be distributed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry around the world.
Penzel’s work was the first of two October 7 massacre books to be banned temporarily by Amazon this summer.
Journalist Mark Patinkin’s book, “The Holy Land at War: A Journey Through Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza,” was similarly banned and unbanned by Amazon. His book’s ban was implemented and rescinded within August.
“Both Penzel and myself, we each appealed a half dozen times and were repeatedly rejected,” Patinkin told The Times of Israel.
A long-time columnist at the Providence Journal in Rhode Island, Patinkin called the similarity of what happened to both his and Penzel’s books “stunning.” Since the ban was lifted on Patinkin’s book, it rose to Amazon best-selling lists in the US for “Historical Middle East Biographies” and “Jewish History Books.”
Amazon has been in the spotlight since October 7 for allegations the company condones expressions of anti-Israel hatred among its staff. Deliveries to Israel have been vandalized and hundreds of employees have demonstrated against Israel at company gatherings.
Some estimates put Amazon’s market share at 60% for print books and 90% for e-books. The company was sued by the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general for “illegally maintaining monopoly power.”
‘A black box’
Patinkin’s book is broader in scope than Penzel’s, and it’s not specifically about the current Israel-Gaza war.
Patinkin’s book is informed by October 7, but includes diverse perspectives from interviewees on both sides of the conflict. Some of them have been interviewed by Patinkin on several occasions across decades.
Regarding the Amazon ban on his book, Patinkin said his initial response was to seek advice.
“I was told by a publishing consultant that appeals by blocked authors are likely sent back to the original Amazon rejector, so there’s no recourse, and the whole thing’s a black box,” said Patinkin.
On September 4, the New York Post ran an op-ed from Patinkin about his experience with Amazon gatekeepers. In his op-ed, Patinkin wrote about the ability of a single tweet from Elon Musk to induce Amazon to unban a book about COVID-19.
“Penzel and I were both apparently saved by press coverage,” wrote Patinkin.
The Times of Israel reached out to executives at Amazon to confirm or deny allegations of bias among content gatekeepers. Amazon spokesperson Tim Gillman responded to the allegations.
“We have content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale, and invest significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed. When we make an error, we work quickly to correct it,” said Gillman.
There are more than a handful of books on Amazon written from the perspective of people who accuse Israel of perpetrating genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza. “Genocide in Gaza: An Islamic Perspective” and “Acting to End Genocide in Gaza: Voices of Conscience and Concern,” are two titles for sale.
“My hunch is I was a victim of a biased gatekeeper, perhaps after Amazon higher-ups flagged the Gaza war as a controversial subject,” wrote Patinkin.
Penzel’s book is particularly graphic, even for an October 7 account. He interviewed not only victims and eyewitnesses, but also forensics researchers, first responders, and others connected to the massacres in visceral ways.
“There were insensitive questions that I had to ask them in order to find answers,” Penzel said.
For example, Penzel compiled accounts of Israeli men being raped with metal objects. There is also an account of a victim who was crucified to his door.
In April, Amazon was pressured to ban a book authored by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 massacres. As reported by Israel Hayom, Jeff Bezos and other senior Amazon executives were warned that continuing to sell the book could translate into a breach of US federal anti-terrorism laws.
