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" is a genocidal call for the annihilation of the State of Israel. This goes against all codes of decency and conduct.
Using this phrase is actually a call for the destruction of a sovereign state and the elimination of an entire population. Therefore the use should be banned.
I strongly urge the Oversight Board to recommend that Meta ban the use of the phrase "from the river to the sea" across its platforms. This language has an undeniable origin as a call for violence and genocide against the Jewish people by Palestinian militant groups seeking to eliminate the State of Israel.
Historically, this phrase emerged as a rallying cry for groups like Hamas, the PLO, and the PFLP who explicitly called in their charters and propaganda for the conquest of all of historical Palestine and the expulsion or destruction of the Jewish population. It represented the eliminationist ideology at the core of the Palestinian resistance to the UN's 1947 Partition Plan that created Israel.
While the meaning has evolved for some to simply refer to Palestinian statehood aspirations, the phrase continues to be widely used by certain groups and individuals in unambiguously violent and antisemitic ways that incite hatred and violence against Israelis and Jews. Allowing such language, even if claimed to be innocuous, provides a veneer of legitimacy to extremist ideologies that Meta should avoid promoting on its platforms.
Just as Meta rightly prohibits overtly antisemitic slogans like "Juden Raus" that represented direct incitements to violence and genocide against Jews, so too should it treat the phrase "from the river to the sea" as unacceptable hate speech. This language is inextricably linked to a legacy of calling for the ethnic cleaning of the Jewish population in Israel.
I urge Meta to err on the side of prohibiting ambiguous language that has been so frequently co-opted by extremist elements over the years to explicitly incite violence. At a minimum, the phrase should be outright banned without exception. Alternatively, it could be allowed but with extensive content restrictions, warnings about its historical context, and clear disclaimers that Meta prohibits any language inciting hatred or violence.
Regardless of the specific approach, failing to take substantive action against this particular phrase would be an effective endorsement of anti-Jewish hatred and extremism that is antithetical to Meta's moral and ethical principles. I implore the Board to take a firm stand against allowing such rhetoric that could potentially incite real-world violence and terror attacks.
Please ban that hate-filled freeze
Hello, please consider this slogan of “ from the river to the sea… will be free” harmful, derogatory, racist, annihilist, filled with Natzi ideology of erasing the only Jewish state and ALL JEWS from the face of the earth. Those utterances are a reflection of a murderous society mirroring the same Natzi Hitler plan of killing all Jews. Those saying it are either ignorant or murderers’ sympathizers or full blown hypocrites hiding their antisemitism behind a “cause”. Shame on all media outlets allowing for such barbaric speech publicized under the guise of’ free speech’ .
“From the River to the Sea” is fundamentally an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people living there.
It has now even gone beyond that to become a call for the extermination of Jews everywhere.
This is hate speech. It is not protected by free speech and should not be allowed on any forum, public or private.
Between the river and the sea lies one small country, home to some 10 million citizens, 2 million of whom are Arabs, both Muslim and Christian. 8 million inhabitants are Jews, 75% of whom were born in that very small country: Israel.
Israel is a member state of the UN. It is the ONLY country whose existence is repeatedly challenged, the only country facing annihilation threats as a matter of normalized discourse.
The slogan in question is a call for the destruction of a sovereign state, a call for the murder of its inhabitants who are to be supplanted by a ragtag coalition of Arab from North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. No one on earth would call publicly for the annihilation of say Canada, France, or Japan. Israel is fair game because antisemitic mobs have been brainwashed to believe it a marauding colonial state.
Israel was founded and was internationally recognized as a legitimate actor. There was NEVER a Palestinian state ANYWHERE, certainly none that was usurped. Following scores of repeated attempts to accommodate all its erstwhile inhabitants, Israel’s appeals for oeaceful coexistence have invariably beed rebuffed. For a hundred years Arabs have focused their energy, coin, and blood, aiming at the destruction of Israel. If they would have made peace with Israel they too would have flourished.
It is unthinkable that Western democracies approve the dissemination of racist, annihilationist, violent assault on a sovereign nation as if it were a matter of free speech. Such calls are akin to shouting Fire in a crowded cinema hall. Such calls spawn violence. Such calls are anathema to justice, liberty, and world peace.
The saying "from the river to the sea" should be forbidden in any public media. This saying encorage anti semitism and spread of hate and the wish to destroy and evade the country of Israel and it's 9 million citizens.
Please make sure this saying won't be used ever again!
"From the river to the sea..." clearly calls for the elimination of the only Jewish state and the kilming of half of the Jewish people (the other half still lives in the diaspora), because: where should they go to?
How can such a call for genocide be tolerated?
The phrase should be removed as. It is totally inviting Israel. The people who say this are trying to throw the Jews into. The sea, it is threatening the very roots of antisemitism. It also insinuating genocide against the jews, by getting rid of them. This is a very scary situation being threatened day and night. If this was done to any other country would. The world allow. It. So it has to be stopped as soon as possible. Talking about humanitarian grounds, why is it a double standard? Are the jews not human, or are they dum? It is totally not acceptable to scare a people in this absurd way, there are families with children and can cause harm to the mental state of the mind of minors and old people. To me this phrase which I don't want to repeat is very annoying, gets me really angry and upset, my blood pressure goes up to systolic 200. Do people need to be threatened for something they did not do.
I hope the right decision will be taken in this matter, other I will loose hope in right and. Wrong, Good and bad and humanity.
Thank you, Pearl S.
This sentence represents hatred. With all this hate we are here, together. Enough with the hate killing. Israel is here.
That phrase is promulgating misinformation, hate speech and violence, which places people at imminent risk.
From the river to the sea by their definition means it would be Jewish Free.
That is their mantra and their goal. It needs to be understood that it is hate speech and a rallying cry for Israel to be Juden Free.
B"H
"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 it's multi-ethnic population that consists of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druz, Bahai, and other religions/ethnicities.
Thank you for your equitable consideration.
ביטוי מביש שקורה למחוק את ישראל. מדינה מתקדמת ומביאה השגים בכל תחום: מדע, רפואה, תרבות, הי טק, חקלאות, טכנולוגיה ועוד
From the river to the sea
Is a hate speech calling for the elimination of the state of Israel. For the killing of all Israeli citizens including Israeli Jews, Bedouin’s, Thai, Driz and Christians
It should be banned.
I see that this statement often comes with other hate speeches
The slogan from the river to the sea refers to the Jordan river and the sea is the Mediterranean. The exact borders of the state of Israel. Meaning their goal is a genocide of the 8 million Jews living there. They do not allow Jews in their countries so it is a given that no Jews will be allowed to stay alive. That already is a planned crime against humanity. They and their antisemite collaborators. choose to ignore the fact that there was never a country called Palestine. The land that they refer to is the land of Israel and Judea which was forcefully destroyed by the Roman Empire and as a punishment to the Jews was renamed Provicia Palestina ( as an added jab to the Jews- named after Israel's biggest enemies- the phillistines - who were of Greek origin Not Arab) . Therefore not only they have no historical hold to the land but on top of it they aim to annihilate the real owners of the land and rewrite history - their way. They definitely should not be allowed. Nor should they be allowed to use that phrase. Never. .
This idea that "from the river to the sea" is anti semetic is absurd. Christians, Jews and arabs lived peacefully for thousands of years in Palestine.
The US and the UK and other countries supporting the formation of the nation of Israel did so because they didn't want to take in the Jewish people who survived the Holocaust. That is anti semetic.
I will fight for Palestine for the rest of my life.
I can come up with plenty of anti Semitic language. I'd say instead of Jew / Israel "whatever" fill in your preferred minority and say it out very loud in a store full with people. If you do so and nobody says anything or gives you dirty looks "not racist" or hateful. If you do wake up in the ER you know it went over the line. Really? Come on you all know what anti Semitic language sounds like, it is just that you don't like to do anything about it. Me, I've heard it all I am a: "ZioNazi", "Genocidal Jew baby killer", IsraHell, "Murdering Zionist", "Israhell Terrorist State". The list is long and new ones come up every day. Just be decent about it, we are a tiny minority, smaller than most other small minorities, we aren't settlers, we came home after many years of persecution.
"From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. If you look at a map, you will find the country of Israel. This phrase is a genocidal call for the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of its people. This phrase is hate speech and should not be allowed on META or any social media platforms>