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
The phrase "from the river to the see" basically calls for the distraction of the state of Israel, extinction of the people of Israel and the Jewish people. Those who call it wishes to destroy the country that was built on the ashes of 6 millions Jewish people. This call is an anti-Semite call and it should be forbidden. The world has once witnessed the true meaning of anti-Semitism. Never again is now! And it starts with forbidding this horrible call.
The term “From the River to the Sea” has always been interpreted to mean the annihilation of Israel. A COUNTRY born from World recognition. The only place Jewish people can feel truly safe (especially given the current climate)
Even if you choose not to believe its meaning, it is HIGHLY OFFENSIVE and hurtful to read as a Jewish person or any other person who believes in Israel’s right to exist. It is no less offensive than using words to describe certain people of colour. Those words are subjective to a person of colour, just as the River to the Sea is offensive to a whole Nation and all those who support it. The term is divisive and bears the mark of terrorist intentions. I urge you to please make moves to disallow this sentence anywhere on Meta.
Kind Regards,
David.
The slogan “from the river to the sea“ is an anti-Semitic and racist comment which leaves no room for the existence of the state of Israel. No other country in the world would be expected to withstand a statement for its liquidation. This statement is explicitly racist and should not be allowed on your website
Please attend to this immediately so that you do not lose credibility with your customers. Thank you in advance.
This is a phrase used by those who promote the destruction of Israel, a state under international law and a member of the UN. Calling for the destruction of states shouldn't be accepted in a respectable environment such as Facebook.
As a Jewish women that Frase calls for eviction of all the Jewish people from Israel. You don't hear those fraises on both sides
The phrase from the river to the see means to erase Israel from the map. I’m strongly against using this phrase. Don’t give a stage to those who would like to destroy Israel. Thank you.
“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 YOUR opportunity to ensure that Meta upholds its responsibility to combat antisemitism on its platform.
Please!
There is no room for hate in 2024! Facebook can not allow comments who call for the destruction of a state, any state not just the Jewish state . From the river to the sea clearly calls to exterminate all the people living in Israel .
Facebook must not be part of spreading violence and hate speech !
Ban the expression ‘from the river to the sea’ because it calls for the distraction of Israel as the state of the Jewish people. Israel is a state that gives complete freedom and rights to all its citizens, no matter what religion or sexual orientation are. The only democracy in the Middle East. Every person that knows the facts should fight for the existence of Israel and not for its distraction.
The chant From the river to the sea, calls for the anahilation of Israel off tge map of the world, which is essentially wiping out the Jewish state, which is a call fir Genocide!!
Hi,
the speech "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free" is an historic and clear chant for killing Jews. And it's also based on geography, the Palestinian Territories aren't connected from 1967 and even before.
So it means the destruction of what is between, which is Israel, as the Jewish state and the destruction of the Jewish people
“From the river to the sea” became a hate slogan and is now used to encourage antisemitism, violence towards Jews wherever they are, violence against the people of Israel, support the terror organisation Hamas, support the massacre of October 7 against peace-full Israeli civilians at their homes and encourage more of the same in the future.
This phrase facilitates violence against Jewish women.
This sentence is a violent one. The word call for the distruction of the state of Israel and dements people will take the country and it's people by force. There are a lot of wars in the world...But I haven't seen such violent calls to destroy the of the sides/countries that are fighting Except of the distruction of the State of Israel! Its angry. Its violent! it's against human rights! It's against humans (what of all the people in Israel? Where should they go?) and It Must be condemned by the Whole world!!! It's So sad that I need to write this even...Only Love brings Love- There should be No tolerance for this kind of hate!!! Thank you.
I am a 48 year old Israeli jewish nurse . Born and raised in Israel . My grandmother from my mothers side was a holocaust survivor ,loosing her parents and three brothers and many many friends and relatives to the evils of the Nazis .She had lost her home and after surviving the war and the concentration camps ,fled to Israel ,in hope that in a jewish state she would be free and start a new life . My grandfather from my fathers side had also lost his parents and brothers and sisters (one brother left only ) and already had a family ,so lost his wife and only 5 yo child . He barely survived and never spoke of this with us grandchildren ,he did speek with my father ,when he was a child ,and towards his death ,when my father wrote down what he was willing /able to tell . Both found shelter and a new life in Israel ,a place where they finally belonged within their people ,and finally felt safe ( well ,as safe as someone can ,after his whole family was murderd ,some he did not know how and when ,no grave because they were burned ,as he learned from german lists after the war. When we hear the words from the river to the sea - we know the context, which means that the land from the Jorden river to the Mediterranean sea should be free of jews . Whether this" free" means all of us Israeli jews should be killed ,or "just " deported to other countries it is a serious and intimidating threat , horrifying to us ,especially when we have seen how words and ideas dehumanizing jews have caused the loss of millions of lives in the holocaust,the loss of our families and whole communities . This use of words is not only dangerous ,but super triggering to 1st ,2nd and 3 rd generations of the holocaust survivors .I also believe that many are so used to hearing it ,it has become common and fashionable and if people were shocked of the idea of hate and violence toward jews around the world ,it is getting more and more acceptable. I also feel that if any other minority would be threatened this way ,even only by incinuation , it would never be allowed ,and considered as hate speech and incitement of violence. I personaly am afraid to travel in certain countries ,where I see these demonstrations ,as we see demonstrators get violent with jews ,and the police not being able to protect them . Anyone who is using this phrase,and claiming it only shows support for palestinians ,is either lying or ( even worse ?) ignorant about the intention of these words. After the October 7th attack ,when we were terrified here in Israel for weeks ,getting ready with knives in our safe rooms ,in case terrorists penetrate the border again ( while they were shooting missiles at us Constantly) and when there are still civilian hostages held and abused in Gaza ,their families falling apart ,I feel that people who support any cause ,as just as it might be ,should not be allowed to buly and trigger us like that . It is violent and vile . Thank you 🙏🏻
From the river to the sea means from the Jordan river in the east to the Mediterranean see in the west, which includes the area that was agreed by the UN in 1948 to be divided between Israel (western part) and Palestine (eastern part). When people call to ‘free Palestine’ between the river to the see, it clearly means to remove/expel/extinct the state of Israel, which got its independency legally from the UK (voted for by the UN)
From the river to the sea, calls for the distinction of the country that is currently ( and has always been) there and for the genocide of the Israelis living there, as demonstrated on October 7 and since then.
The call "from the river to the sea" is an explicit call to eradicate the state of Israel on its 9.8 million inhabitants, out of which 2 million inhabitants are Arabs. The state of Israel was founded in 1948 by a UN resolution declaring two States a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. The call from the river to the sea tries to nullify this historic event. No one called for the eradication of Russia after it invaded the Ukraine, no one called for the eradication of Myanmar after the abhorent attacks on the
Rohingya minority and no-one called for the eradication of Hamas terrorist group after its barbaric attack on innocent Israeli civilians. The call is simply antisemitism, ignoring the 5,000 years of history of Jews in that same area from the river to the sea. That call is to eradicate the only Jewish state in the whole world, ignoring international law and ignoring actual history, that call is simply antisemitic incitement for violence against Jews.
It is shocking to me how many posts reported to Facebook go ignored that are clear and abhorrent violations of your alleged community guidelines. I shouldn't have to block people in order to avoid harassing, threatening and violent hate speech.
From the River to the Sea and Palestine will be Free are both calls for the genocide of all Jews (and non-Muslims) living in Israel. They have been used by terrorist organizations as a rallying cry for decades and are obviously calls for violence. Just think about it - from what River to what Sea? Jordan to Mediterranean, obviously. Free of what? Jews. This is why Hamas, Islamic Jihad and countless other terrorist groups use these phrases as their slogans. The US Congress has confirmed this as has the Anti Defamation League and other civil rights organizations.
Please also note calls for violence should always be prohibited, whether aimed at "Jews" or "Zionists" or any other group for that matter.
Posts containing " From the River to the sea" should be removed because this expression is a call for annihilation of the state of Israel, a legitimate state whose creation was approved by United Nations.