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 is offensive because it is a political statement calling for the eradication of the only Jewish state in the world and the only democratic country in the Middle East - Israel. In essence it calls for the distraction of Israel. Where are the Israeli people suppose to go to?
In actuality it is a call for the genocide of the Jewish people.
The phrase “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is an explicit call to wipe Israel off the map, annihilate all Jews in Israel and render the area Judenrein, which was the Nazis’ goal. The phrase is intrinsically anti-Semitic, and all posts on Meta using it should be banned.
It is imperative that Meta’s Oversight Board takes a firm stance against the propagation of harmful rhetoric that seeks to delegitimize and demonize Israel. I appreciate you taking public comments and perspectives on the matter. I hope that Meta understands that “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.
I urge you to uphold and honor your responsibility to combat antisemitism on the platform. Together, let us stand in solidarity against hatred and bigotry, and work towards a safer and more inclusive online community.
From the River to the Sea is a Hate Phrase from Terrorists against the Irael Nation and should be banned
Hey Meta, stop supporting islamonazi terrorist shiit! Tell your founder Zuckerman to get off his ass and grow a pair! Remind him that he's a Jew after all, he needs to show some pride and loyalty to his people and stop being a coward!
It is time for Meta to ban genocidal hate speech in all of its forms. The term “from the River to the sea” is an explicit call for annihilating the Jewish race. It would be a fine example of Meta’s moral fortitude and compass to remove this speech from its platform.
‘FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA’ MUST BE BANNED.
“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 as direct voice of repeeding October, 7th.
This is a genocidal phrase calling for the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of all Jews. Israel has as much, if not more right to exist than Pakistan and Jordan, which were both created at the same time.
Calling for the genocide of a nation goes against the very basis of human rights and morality.
“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
I wish to call your attention to what can only be called genocidal hate speech that I'm seeing too often recently
“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.
Now is our opportunity to ensure that Meta upholds its responsibility to combat antisemitism on its platform.
Words have meaning and when that meaning is put into a specific context where the meaning is unquestionably genocidal, then those words must not be condoned or accepted. In the context of the middle east, the words "From the river to the sea" have only one very genocidal meaning and that is to push anyone connected with the state of Israel into the sea where they would obviously perish. If that is not a genocidal expression then I don't know what is. This should not be condoned by Meta or anyone else.
”From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. This is a sentence we hear now more than anything everywhere arround the world. It is hatred agaibst the jewish population and this is connected to genocide.
The river is on the other side of Israel and as you go through the country there is the sea on the other side.
This must be recogniced.
The Hamas and its leaders have said they will kill the jews and wipe out Israel from the map. This started in October the 10th. Nobody remembers this anymore. Why? Isn’t that genocide. Hamas and other islamic coubtries like Iran are serious about destroying Israel and jews everywhere. We cannot keep silent as we did on Holocaust. The tunnels are under the palestinian houses. Some entrences are inside the house. Hamas hide weapons there. They can’t be destroyed in any other way. Which war is like this, that the army warns people and tell them to move away from one place to an other to keep safe? Why does the media only listen to Hamas lies. A terroristorganization?! This is increadible!
These riots cannot shout what they want about Israel. It is becoming really antisemistic and getting worse all the time!
Israel must defend itself. Its country and its people!
“From the River to the Sea” means from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean-“Palestinian will be Free” means the annihilation, expulsion or subjugation of 70% of the population who are Jewish. This is the most blatant example of modern antisemitism and should be banned from your platform. Would you tolerate someone saying that all Moslems should be expelled from Israel or killed? Definitely not - so you must restrict the From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free.
“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.
Any type of hate speech should be banned 100%.
Thank you.
"From the River to the Sea" is a genocidal statement. It indicates a desire to eliminate the State of Israel and all it's inhabitants. In Arabic it is actually "From the river to the river, all the land will be Arab" . Again, a genocidal statement. The Arab and Palestinian stance since the late 1800's have been extremely consistent. No Israel. No two State solution - only one Arab Palestinian country. "Free Palestine" is another example of this mentally that Israel is an occupying entity and their land must be freed.
If someone posted" Send all American Blacks back to Africa", or "Kill all Asians" this would not be tolerated. But somehow when it is the Jews and ISrael, this is ok. NO it is not.
Ban "From the River to the Sea" as a genocidal statement. Or leave it and perpetuate the problem.
Ian Cohen
This is a hateful phrase that encourage violence against Jewish people. The true meaning is from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free from the Jews by any means necessary.
I don't feel safe when I see or hear this phrase.
Stand against hate speech and bigotry. Ban offensive slogans being thrown around Meta and allow an inclusive and safe environment for people. Slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, are antisemitic calls for genocide and slaughter against an entire population. They need to be stopped. It is not okay to target individuals or groups with hate speech. Help us all feel safe.
From the river to the sea is an incitement to hate and violence. It has been used around the world to foment anti Jewish and anti Israel sentiment which has led to antisemitic acts of violence world wide.
Unfortunately it is is not 'just' a slogan, it is a call to action.