Case Description
Due to a technical glitch, our public comments portal for cases related to the "From the River to the Sea" phrase closed earlier than planned. To ensure everyone has a chance to share their input, we've reopened it for 24 hours. The portal will now close at 12pm BST on May 23rd.
These three cases concern content decisions made by Meta, all on Facebook, which the Oversight Board intends to address together.
The three posts were shared by different users in November 2023, following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 and the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Each post contains the phrase “From the river to the sea.” All three were reported by users for violating Meta’s Community Standards. The company decided to leave all three posts on Facebook. For each case, the Board will decide whether the content should be removed under Meta’s policies and according to its human rights responsibilities. Numbers of views and reports are correct as of the end of February 2024.
The first case concerns a comment from a Facebook user on another user’s video. The video has a caption encouraging others to “speak up” with numerous hashtags including “#ceasefire” and “#freepalestine.” The comment on the post contains the phrase “FromTheRiverToTheSea” in hashtag form, as well as several additional hashtags including “#DefundIsrael.” The comment had about 3,000 views and was reported seven times by four users. The reports were closed after Meta’s automated systems did not send them for human review within 48 hours.
In the second case, a Facebook user posted what appears to be a generated image of fruit floating on the sea that form the words from the phrase, along with “Palestine will be free.” The post had about 8 million views and was reported 951 times by 937 users. The first report on the post was closed, again because Meta’s automated systems did not send it for human review within 48 hours. Subsequent reports by users were reviewed and assessed as non-violating by human moderators.
In the third case, a Facebook page reshared a post from the page of a community organization in Canada in which a statement from the “founding members” of the organization declared support for “the Palestinian people,” condemning their “senseless slaughter” by the “Zionist State of Israel” and “Zionist Israeli occupiers.” The post ends with the phrase “From The River To The Sea.” This post had less than 1,000 views and was reported by one user. The report was automatically closed.
The Facebook users who reported the content, and subsequently appealed Meta’s decisions to leave up the content to the Board, claimed the phrase was breaking Meta’s rules on Hate Speech, Violence and Incitement or Dangerous Organizations and Individuals. The user who reported the content in the first case stated that the phrase violates Meta’s policies prohibiting content that promotes violence or supports terrorism. The users who reported the content in the second and third cases stated that the phrase constitutes hate speech, is antisemitic and is a call to abolish the state of Israel.
After the Board selected these cases for review, Meta confirmed its original decisions were correct. Meta informed the Board that it analyzed the content under three policies – Violence and Incitement, Hate Speech and Dangerous Organizations and Individuals – and found the posts did not violate any of these policies. Meta explained the company is aware that “From the river to the sea” has a long history and that it had reviewed use of the phrase on its platform after October 7, 2023. After that review, Meta determined that, without additional context, it cannot conclude that “From the river to the sea” constitutes a call to violence or a call for exclusion of any particular group, nor that it is linked exclusively to support for Hamas.
The Board selected these cases to consider how Meta should moderate the use of the phrase given the resurgence in its use after October 7, 2023, and controversies around the phrase’s meaning. On the one hand, the phrase has been used to advocate for the dignity and human rights of Palestinians. On the other hand, it could have antisemitic implications, as claimed by the users who submitted the cases to the Board. This case falls within the Board’s strategic priority of Crisis and Conflict Situations.
The Board would appreciate public comments that address:
- The origin and current uses of the phrase: “From the river to the sea.”
- Research into online trends in content using the phrase.
- Research into any associated online and offline harms from the use of the phrase.
- Meta’s human rights responsibilities in relation to content using the phrase including freedom of expression, freedom of association, and equality and non-discrimination.
- State and institutional (e.g., university) responses to the use of the phrase (e.g., during protests) and the human rights impacts of those responses.
As part of its decisions, the Board can issue policy recommendations to Meta. While recommendations are not binding, Meta must respond to them within 60 days. As such, the Board welcomes public comments proposing recommendations that are relevant to these cases.
Comments
This statement in its nature is calling the quite blankly "clear" the entire state off Israel off the map, and "free" it refers to freeing it from Jews.
It is amplified by clear terror groups calling for violence against Jews and Israelis, and those who use this slogan know *very well* that its a call for genocide of Jews and destruction of the only Jewish state. There is nothing open to interpretation here, they are saying exactly what it is they want and Its rediculous that we even need to explain here the way in which it is used is a call for genocide and to incentives violence
Any post contains ‘from the river to the sea’ calls for the annhiliation of the state of Israel and is a hate crime, therefore must be removed
From the River to the Sea is a call for the destruction of the State of Israel. It has no place on any of META's publications, unless of course Meta supports the elimination of the ancient and current home of Jews.
While it is acceptable and appropriate to respectfully criticize actions of others / nations; acceptable to promote one's own personal or national views; it cannot be acceptable to promote a National or Regional cause that calls directly or indirectly for the complete annihilation or eradication of another country or peoples.
That is a call to Genocide, which is promoting violence in the most extreme manner.
Calling for "from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free".. understand free of Israel and Jews is promoting / calling for a war on and extermination of Israel.
If Facebook allows posts and reposts with such calls, or even video clips of others chanting this mantra, then Facebook is providing a megaphone for this call to genocide and is complicit in any actions that may result,
PLEASE censor, which we all know Facebook is able and quick to do when you wish, such posts and videos promoting Destruction of Israel and Genocide of Israelis.
“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” is an open call for the
complete annihilation of the State of Israel and its citizens.
This genocidal hate speech advocates for the destruction of the
one and only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population.
These words are as close to a "battle cry" as any said in wartime.
As such, they must be prohibited on the site.
Many people chanting “ from the river to the sea “ do not even know which river, which sea. The land was originally won in war or paid for by Israelites. Later, officially allocated by the most recent conquerors of the land & rulers-the British empire.
Residing Arabic & Palestinian residents need to accept the nation of Israel & abide by its laws or emigrate. A free democracy with civil laws & rules makes for a safer, better socioeconomic society for all people,
Hate should not be forced upon people. The world needs positivity and whether people believe that Jews don't belong in their homeland and that a state should have the country not the actual certified country hate should not be posted and obsessed over on the internet. People should not be targeted or discriminated on because of their ethnicity because we can't control the country we come from, we can only control ourselves. While the Australian government won't stand up against hate and terrorism i know that people should NOT be waving a terrorist groups flag and shouting for world genocide even if their problem is the death being caused. We should be proud of who we are and not judge others and push for hate.
The phrase: " from the river to the sea Palestine will be free" actually means the complete removal of all Jews & the obliteration of the only Jewish State in the world.
This is the actual meaning of "annihilation", or a call to kill all Jews which is by definition "Genocide".
if that is not apparent to the checkers I despair for the survival of "Meta", and "Facebook" which tries to be fair normally.
Despite receiving numerous reports, Facebook initially chose not to remove the posts, stating they did not breach its rules. Consequently, users petitioned Meta’s Oversight Board, prompting a reevaluation of the decision.
The upcoming decisions of Meta’s Oversight Board carry immense significance, not only for the millions of supporters of Israel but also for the broader fight against antisemitism and hate speech.
Shame on you, I urge you please to review these complaints.
The phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is the English version of the original phrase in Arabic which says "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Arab". The progressives in the West do not have the courage to state the original phrase because they want to be "politically correct" and obscure the true intent of the phrase.
In English, the phrase specifically states that "Palestine will be free", The word Israel is not mentioned. It does not say from whom Palestine will be freed. Even the most prevalent word in their vocabulary, "Occupation", is not mentioned. This means that from the river to the sea there will not be an Israel - only Palestine.
It is common knowledge that the "freed" Palestinian Arabs (Hamas at the top of the list) and the Jews reject the possibility of living together in one state. This is the reason for the two states solution that every Arab state and the PLO are pushing for. Arafat agreed to this in the Oslo accords as the first phase one of his "final solution".
Under these circumstances, the only way for Palestine to be free, is to get rid of the Jews between the river and the sea. There is no other explanation, definitely when the true meaning of the phrase is explicitly stated in the original version of this phrase in Arabic .
While some of the westerners don’t fully understand the meaning, the people originating in the Middle East know very well that it calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. This phrase is a cornerstone of Hamas charter and has been quoted repeatedly by Hamas officials. Most recently, Osama Hamdan of the Hamas Political Bureau stated at the May 5, 2024 symposium that after October 7, it is clear that the discussion can only be about a Palestine from the River to the Sea, with Israel being dismantled (see attachment).
On April 16, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution condemning the phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic.
In the US and across the world, the phrase is often used by extremists as a rallying cry for annihilation of Israel - or as many in the Middle East who refuse to recognize Israel as a country refer to it as Zionist Entity or Zionist Regime.
For example, back in May 2021 Dearborn, Michigan activist Tarek Bazzi said at a pro-Palestine rally held in and uploaded to the Al-Quds Committee Facebook page: "'From the River to the Sea' means the annihilation of the Zionist regime." He said that Israel is a cancer and an "absolute evil." A crowd member responded by leading the audience in the chant: "There is no god but Allah, Israel is the enemy of Allah!" Bazzi continued to say that there is no way to deal peacefully with Israel and that martyrdom must be sought (see attached). More recently, Tarek Bazzi spoke at an International Al-Quds Day rally in Dearborn, Michigan, held on April 5, 2024, where he said that it is not "Genocide Joe" that has to go, referring to President Biden, but it is the entire system of the United States "that has to go." "We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth." Bazzi added that "death to Israel" has become the "most logical chant shouted across the world today".
Another recent example, in a speech that lead to her arrest by Canadian authorities, Charlotte Kates, the International Coordinator of Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, said in an April 26 rally in Vancouver, British Columbia: "We demand a free Palestine from the River to the Sea. And we stand with the Palestinian resistance and their heroic and brave actions on October 7. As they said, long live October 7th! And we say today: long live October 7th!". The speech was uploaded to various accounts on X as well as streamed live on "Free Palestine Tri-cities BC" on Instagram.
There are countless examples of the use of the phrase to justify and incite violence and only people who are either completely ignorant or sinister - or choose to stay willfully blind - would deny this.
I want to object to your allowing the chant 'from the river to the sea' to be allowed on your platform. This chant has only one meaning- the complete destruction of Israel. In a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise and Jewish students are threatened on campuses nationwide, where Israel is surrounded by entities that seek its destruction and where a horrendous massacre was committed against the citizens of Israel and where there are still citizens being held hostage under barbaric conditions, this chant only adds fuel to the fire. Hate speech should not have a platform. I am sure that you would not allow members to call for the eradication of other ethnic groups on your platform and this should be treated with the same sensitivity.
The slogan implies the eradication of Israel. It therefore is inherently dangerous, anti Jewish, and hate speech. Hate speech is not protected under the First Amendment.
From the river to the sea is a very political statement that suggests to erase Israel.
I find it very offensive, nasty and cruel!!
US House resolution condemns chant ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ - This slogan as antisemitic and genocidal. The intention is to erase the State of Israel from its inhabitants, and this includes 7.7 million Jews and 2.2 million Arabs. Every Jew says this is an anti-Semitic statement. This is a call for genocide. The Jews have experience with the genocide of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. Enough of racism, enough of terrorism, enough of hatred of Jews
From The Tiver To The Sea is a violent slogen, meant to call for violance - education of the state if Israel and it's Jews.
From the river to the sea calls for the destruction of Israel. It is a call to wipe Israel off the map and replace it with a Palestinian state. Jews have been kicked out of every surrounding Muslim country and the call to replace Israel is essentially calling for finishing what Hitler and the Grand Mufti started.
I am just asking for hatred of any kind to be banned from Facebook. In this incidents it is the vile anti-Semitism that is becoming prolific on the social media. Calling for the eradication of Israel that includes attacks on individuals who either are Jewish or support Jewish people/Israel should be banned. This is not an attach on free speech. Nazism and the holocaust are not that far back in history for humanity to have forgotten.