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 directly references the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, between which lies the State of Israel, the ONLY democratic nation in the Middle East and the ONLY Jewish nation in the world. This call "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free" is absolutely a call for the eradication of the State of Israel and a call of a one State solution. This is thus inherently a call for the eradication of the only Jewish state in the world, and therein lies the antisemitism.
We are living in a time where anti-Semitism is running rampant, this time under the guise of "anti-zionism". Calls for violence against jewish people have overtaken cities and college campuses with chants like "globalize the intifada" and free palestine "from the river to the sea". The river being the Jordan River and the sea being the Red Sea, essentially calling for the annihilation of over 7 million jews. Jews and Israelis are sensitive to these chants as we immensely understand the sentiment behind them, any other explanation is merely gaslighting. These chants are more than just chants, they incite violence and promote terrorism. These slogans are infiltrating our education systems that are supposed to be safe spaces and the minds of the most vulnerable - the youth. At a time like this, during a disgusting war and unhinged hatred, we should be joining together to March against war and terrorism. We need to educate, to engage in discourse with open-minds and sensitivity to each other as humans first. These slogans should be banned as they go against exactly that goal.
This means that they want The state of Israel will be vanish and throw it away.
Just because they are Jews who want to live in their own land, this is a country built against all odds.
Please see this publication where I explain why the chant "from the river to the sea" is more than legitimate but rather an emancipatory chant.
https://publicseminar.org/2024/04/from-the-river-to-the-sea-different-interpretations/
The phrase "From the River to the Sea" is not a hateful or violent phrase. This is a phrase that represents the freedom of all people to be welcomed in the region of historic Palestine, or currently the state of Israel. As of now, Palestinians are not allowed, without extensive paperwork and approval, to enter Israel. Imagine another country restricting access of another people in their land? Instead, the phrase "From the River to the Sea" calls for ability for Palestinians to move freely in this land.
This phrase also originated from the Israeli ruling Likud party as part of their 1977 election manifesto which stated "Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty."
Despite what other groups might imply, this phrase does not outright demand the death or killing of those currently living in Israel. It instead demands that current rules and regulations set forth by the state of Israel be abolished and allow for free travel for anyone, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or origin, through the land.
I would also like to point out that the phrase is not too different than the USA's statement "From Sea to Shining Sea", in the USA's national anthem. This phrase is taken as a meaning of freedom for all people within the USA. The same can be said for the Palestinian phrase.
It should be not a problem for everyone to imagine their land to be free. whether it's Israel or Palestine.
As a Palestinian this sentence means that the land that has historically been called Palestine for centuries will be free from occupation, injustice, war, separation walls, racism, antisemitism, etc..
to me it means that this land can be and will be a land that will treat everyone equally as humans and there's no 1st class and 2nd class citizens, a land ruled by democracy and freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of markets and freedom of property ownership.
It was never meant to be as a term threating the jews or Israelis but more a term threatening the apartheid regime. and promising a more free system that will treat all fairly and justly.
the controversy created around this term is just a distraction because it scares the current establishment.
Very very simple.
Stating in any way "From the River..."
Is saying that there is no place in the entire country for Jews.
This is as blatant an anti-semitic slogan as there is. Not much else needs to be said.
While in English this call is not considered genocidal yet, but it reflects the calls in Arabic, which openly call for genocide against Jews. By that, the context is completely transparent for everyone.
To me this reads as hate speech as I believe it is being used to say “free” of Jewish people. I am not Jewish but this is how it reads to me.
As a member of the Melbourne Jewish Cimmunity I have seen the rise in antisemitism in the last few months. This chant of “from the river to the sea” incites violence and antisemitism because it espouses the elimination of Israel the homeland of the Jewish people and hence also the Jewish people in the diaspora.
As a Jewish Israeli with an Australian Full citizenship it is very hurtful to hear the slogan 'To the River to the Sea'.
To hear such Hate in Australia, a country I have grown up since the age of 12 years old is heart breaking.
Anyone who understands Modern History, particularly of the Middle East would definitely recognise the meaning of the term, 'To the River To The Sea' means eradication of the state of Israel by violence. The only Jewish state in the World.
The world education bodies including social media such as Facebook should teach from the early years to university studies compassion, empathy, and truth 🙏.
“From the river to the sea “ has and has only ever had one meaning - a Palestinian state with the Jews driven out of Israel. That is why it is the Pro Palestinian and Hamas chant at demonstrations around the World. To suggest it means otherwise is just as ridiculous and insulting as describing the Israeli military action in Gaza (whether you agree with it or not) as a genocide like the murder of 6million Jews in the Holocaust. It is a corruption of our language for ideological purposes
The Phrase originated with the Hamas leader in 2012 in Gaza.
In Arabic the phrase goes:
From water to water Palestine will be Arab they have changed free to Arab.
The chant is not anti war it is anti Israel and has become antisemitic.
The Foundation of the chant supports the story of Hamas , a terrorist group.
These chants are targeted at Israelis and Jewish people and are designed to intimidate and dehumanise Jewish people by calling for the eradication of the state of Israel .
It is not a chant for a ceasefire or an end to war, such a chant would not be offensive to anyone.
If contributors to META want to ally with Palestinians, they could advocate for peace, security, and self-determination, but do it without dehumanizing or stereotyping Israelis and Jews.
This catchy chant has inspired a movement of hate both on and off social media but if social media continues to be unrestrictive with posts which a certain portion of society has deemed to be offensive then social media platforms risk becoming an incubator for bigotry.
The concept of Freedom of speech should protect protest, not acts or threats of violence or terrorism.
From the river to the sea Palestine will be free clearly indicates a call for destruction of Israel and the people living there. It is a call for genocide. It is not a call to support Palestinian rights to self determination or a two state (or even one state) peaceful solution.
It should not get the social airtime it has as now even kids as young as 5 years old are recalling the catchy rhyme phrase in their daily play. It needs to be shown in the context of what it’s actually calling for or not be given any airtime at all
The statement "from the river to the sea" speaks to an end to apartheid. People being free is not a dangerous idea. This should not be targeted or flags on meta products.
It is unacceptable to allow and promote genocidal rhetoric on any social media platform.
I believe the phrase. “From the River to Sea Palestine will be Free” is deeply offensive inferring the region that lies between the river and the sea which is commonly known to include the Jewish state of Israel will be removed and replaced with one Palestinian state. It’s a call for the complete destruction of Israel and its Jewish population.
The suggestion that the entire area between the river to the sea where “Palestine” will be free denies the existential right for Israel to exist and for Jewish self determination.
The term Palestine which has never in historical times been a sovereign country is calling for “freedom” from the river to the sea from what? What exactly is this slogan suggesting? To be free from Israel which resides as a sovereign country in this area between the river and the sea!
Israel resides between the River and the Sea and is not going anywhere so callls for this region to be freed from Israel is offensive and should be banned as it vilifies Israel and the Jewish people as being occupying oppressors which they are not. History reinforced by archeological facts prove that Israel is the ancestral indigenous land of the Jewish people. Jews will not be pushed out yet again, history will not repeat itself, Jews have a right to exist and any future Palestinian state will not come at the cost of it being the only one state which this slogan calls for. Israel is there to stay and calls “From the River to Sea” denies Israel’s existential right.
As the 2nd generation of Jew born outrside of Iraq after millenia, it is highly offensive to sugest that the final ethnic cleansing of Jews of Jews from the Middle East should be permitted to be uttered in any form. There can be no misunderstanding of the intention of the words chosen, other than to either suggest ethnic cleanings of Jews from the between the 2 bodies of water (ie the histoical land of the Jews that has conitually been inhabitted and the resting place of the patriachs and matriachs of the Jewsih religion) or the outright genocide of the Jews from the Middle East. No matter which way you view it, it is highly offensive and yet another form of degradation and dehumanisation of the Jewsih people. No other ethnic or racial group is subjected to this. One culd argue that the very fact this is open to debate is outright racist as you are treating Jews differently to any other group. There can be no other interpreation that this is vile hate speach.