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
FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA any normal, rational person knows is an Antisemitic slogan. Only members of the Left can call it anything else, as they have the monopoly on lying repeatedly enough that all the little, ignoramus and brainwashed sheep believe it and parrot it.
“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 is 100% genocidal hate speech that advocates for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population.
"From the river to the sea..." Please explain how that is antisemitic, or in any way insulting, defamatory or dangerous.
Anti= against
Semitic = of, relating to, or constituting a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic language family that includes Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and Amharic
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Semites.
3. Jewish
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Semitic)
That a people would be free is a noble aspiration. Who should that threaten except those who oppose freedom? And why should or would they oppose freedom?
If my prosperity or identity is based on denying your freedom and basic rights - then who should be protected - me or you?
The saying "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" - means just that. It doesnt mean Jewish people will be killed, or there will be no Israel state. No more than ending apartheid in South Africa ended the existence of South Africa as a state, or the white settlers there. It means that the Israeli regime as it exists which contravenes international law and the very signed agreements which facilitated its ratification and recognition as a state; and which is predicated upon brutal apartheid policy and ongoing constant theft of land - brutally expelling the Palestinian people who live there - is unsustainable. Which it is. Apartheid brutality, racism, bigotry and land theft are unsustainable.
Those who will have you believe that "from the river to the sea.." is insulting or dangerous are those who would protect the current unsustainable and extremely unjust status quo. They aim to twist the narrative and deflect from the truth. By protecting them you are in essence, denying the right to freedom & justice for an entire population, based only on their religious, cultural background. Those people want to normalise the narrative of 'either/or', not 'and' - and create this dichotomy.
Don't fall for it.
Be open to free speech and its expression, especially for those without voice or rights. By all means prevent & exclude hate speech, insult, threat and harrassment, but not the legitimate cry for freedom of a brutalised people.
“From the river to the sea” means that Palestinians should be free of the illegal 56-year occupation including the 18-year siege on Gaza. It means people of all religious/ethnic identity should live as neighbors with full democracy and equality.
It means an end to ethnic cleansing and apartheid.
The Palestinian people deserve freedom.
The sentence being reviewed is a hateful sentence calling for the eradication of a whole country and its people. This is not a call for liberation of some people. It is important to understand the difference between calls to "free Palestine", where there is no reference to other people to the sentence "from the river to the sea" which simply calls to take over the entire land of Israel and probably throw the population to the sea. The sad thing is that most people using this phrase have no idea what it means, and simply chant it because "that is what you do today". The middle east has very rich history, but we shall not forget that the state of Israel was founded with help of the united nations merely 3 years after the worst genocide in history occurred. In the holocaust 6 million Jews were brutally murdered in a horribly calculated and organized plan to eradicate them. Until this day, almost 80 years after the holocaust ended, the Jewish population of the world is still less that it was before the holocaust. The antisemitic and anti-Israeli calls heard around the world resemble the atmosphere in Europe of the 1930's, just before the holocaust began.
Social media networks are the way the young generation communicates today. These youngsters often do not consume traditional journalism in the form of newspapers or TV broadcasts. They consider what they see in social media networks as the absolute truth and do not bother to educate themselves with true historical facts. If in the past journalists had the responsibility to be neutral and prevent any type of racism, today this responsibility is on the directors of these social media networks, and it is your responsibility to prevent spreading of racist and hateful contents. I urge you to remove any posts containing hateful sentences calling for eradication of the Jewish people, and "from the river to the sea" is by no doubt one of these.
The phrase "from the river to the sea" is currently used as in "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free" - that means, creating a country named Palestine in the region between the Jordan river and the Mandatorian sea. For me, as a logic person, my next thought is, what are we doing with all the jews?
Because there is no other solution, and that is what Hamas and the PA wants - it means to kill and export more than 10Million jews and Israelis.
I, just like anyone else reading or hearing this phrase - know that it means killing all jews in Israel.
Another proof is that this is being chanted in the pro-Hamas protests - which supports the ceasefire. If they only want ceasefire, why would they chant "free palestine" when it is free and not under the Israeli control.
That means that this phrase really says "kill and export all the jews and place palestinians instead!"
"From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free" is both antisemitic and false.
The heinous goal of removing all the Jews from Israel will never happen! The Arabs have been trying to do this for 100 years, initiating pogroms in the 1920s and 1930s, wars in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. They have failed to destroy Israel militarily, so now they are trying to de-legitimize Israel through protests, chants, and lies.
The reason that the slogan is false is because there is no "Free" country among all of the Arab states. They are all autocratic regimes filled with misogyny and hate for anyone who is not Muslim.
Please remove this hateful slogan from all areas within Facebook.
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 is 100% genocidal hate speech that advocates for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population.
This MUST be BANNED
The phrase "from the River to the Sea" is purely a statement of antisemitism, calling for the nation of Israel - the only Jewish nation of the entire world - to be wiped out of existence.
If the entire space "from the River to the Sea" is made void of Israel, where then can this only Jewish nation be if not out of existence?
“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 is 100% genocidal hate speech that advocates for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population.
Now is our opportunity to ensure that Meta upholds its responsibility to combat antisemitism on its platform.
"From River to sea palestine will be free" means NO Jews! This is antisemitic. They want no Jews in Israel or the future palenstinean state. This is hate speech.
Dear Mark Zuckerberg:
Please note - Posts on Facebook that include “FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA”
are calls for Genocide of Jews and Israelis and must be banned from Facebook (Meta)
Please take the right action to remove them from Facebook. This is pure hate speech.
Thank you,
Eli Dror
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 is 100% genocidal hate speech that advocates for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population.
This is hate speech targeting the Jewish people and the only Jewish state in the world. It must be removed from all posts on Meta.
“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 is 100% genocidal hate speech that advocates for the destruction of the only Jewish state and the mass murder of its Jewish population. Meta must uphold its responsibility to combat antisemitism on its platform. I urge Meta to stand in solidarity against hatred and bigotry and work towards a safer and more inclusive online community.
Any words that promote the genocide of any people group is not acceptable and is grossly wrong morally and ethically. There is no justification for it. No religion should promote hate in their followers or should rejoice in the death of any person. The phrase "from the river to the sea..." promotes the murder of all Israelis, both military and civilian. The obscene hatred of Hamas should not be allowed. The Palestinian people and Hamas need to renounce their hatred. Their barbaric crimes of October 7 stain their souls. Don't allow it to stain others.
Stop hate speech!!
It's an Arab supremacist phrase that demands the expulsion and/or death of all non-Arab peoples, especially Jews.
It's pure hatred and bigotry. Anybody saying ought to be perma banned
Hello,
In 1948, when the British left and Israel was born again, an Arab “friend” of my Jewish grandfather in Haifa came to him and told him: “ you better leave now, run away, because we are going to throw all the Jews into the sea”.
My family had nowhere to go, so they stayed. This is what “from the river to the sea” means, it is a slogan calling for the destruction of the state of Israel and the death to all Jews. It has no place in a public format.
This call for a total extermination of Israel and all Jews on this piece of land (which is, by the way, the one and only single land that the Jews have, as oppose to 22 huge Arab countries and 49 Muslim countries) is no different than Hitler's call for total extermination of all Jews, and the crazy thing is that they really mean it. "October 7th was just a promo" they say. They truly wish to slaughter, rape, behead, turture, cut off body pieces alive, and burn alive whole families.
Facebook, please protect us!
השימוש בביטוי מהירדן עד לים משמעותו היא
השמדתה של מדינת ישראל וביצוע רצח עם
כמו שרוצחי החמס ניסו לעשות ב-7.10.2024ל
הביטוי מבטא התנגדות טוטאלית לקיומה של ישראל , והקמת מדינה פלסטינית במקומה.