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” can easily be understood as the genocide of 7 million Jews who live in the State of Israel, which lies between the Jordan “River” and the Mediterranean “Sea.” Because the destruction of the State of Israel, is part of the Hamas charter, and because on 10-7-23 Hamas launched a pogrom, the largest since the Holocaust, killing 1,200 Israelis in Israel, Hamas and their supporters have proved in action that their cry “From the River to the Sea” is a genocidal call to action, and should be banned from your site to save lives.
I consider From the river to the sea statement antisemitic racist and discriminating - of course excluding token jews that are standing against their nation and for terrorism against “other jews@ not them
If Meta will remove all posts proving attacks on jews and on israelis in the cities and on campuses - how are we going to prove they’ve been attached and been used by pro pally terrorism supporters against jewish population ?
are you trying to hide discrimination ?
This is a Nazi-style slogan calling for the ethnic cleansing of Jews.
The Israelis, led by Netanyahu, use the expression “from the river to the sea,” to said they own that land and nobody denounces that
The phrase FTRTTS is a plea for the distruction of the Jewish state in the land of Israel, and therefore a call for a genocide. It is also the motto of terrorist groups like Hamas, and therefore an incitement for violence.
i feel threatened by this saying, it offends me because it says i shouldnt exist, niether my family or my kids. i will never say this kind of things about anyone. i want this sentence to be removed. thank you
The comment ‘from the river to the sea’ denies the right for the existence of State of Israel on that territory suggesting that any Israel population currently residing on that piece of land should be deported or exterminated. In indirect way , the phrase provokes the hate and discrimination over Jewish people and calls for the violence against Israel’s population. In my opinion, the posts containing this content has to be forbidden.
Freedom for the Palestinians does not mean Jews won’t also be free from the river to the sea.
In a region marked by complex histories and cultural richness, the phrase "from the river to the sea" symbolizes nothing but hate. It's the opposite of peace and technically calls for war for its residents.
This slogan, synonymous with calls for Israel's eradication. This is unacceptable, immoral and anti-sematic.
Promotes war rather than reconciliation.
Millions of Israeli families, as my own, live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is fundamentally wrong to demand violent consequences for people of the region.
The use of this phrase escalates tensions and undermines peaceful coexistence among the area's diverse communities. I urge its reconsideration in public discourse, advocating for dialogue that ensures safety and stability for all, including my family, who deserve a future free from the threat of war.
הביטוי מהים עד הנהר מתייחס להשמדתה של מדינת ישראל וחיסול העם היהודי
From the River To the Sea needs to be recognized as hate speech. Its intended meaning is to wipe the area between the River and the sea free of Israel and Jews. It is supported by Hamas’ charter which also explicitly states their mission as being committed to destroying Israel and killing Jews and Israelis all over the world. There is no circumstance in which this phrase should be considered a peaceful advocation for a two-state solution. It represents hate and a call for a “global intifada” against Jews and western society.
"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
This sentence means to kill all the Israeli and the Jews that live in Israel.This is what this sentence means! The river is the Jordan river and the sea is the Mediterranean sea - It means all the area of Israel.The all country! this is genocide.
And because a lot of Jewish leave in israel it is antichemic!
The "FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA” posts should be banned and deleted and their followers penalized in some way, since it is a call to violence, murder and the destruction of the State of Israel.
For a social network to be useful and honest it must protect freedom, and someone's rights end where others' begin. Incitement to hatred and violence is as serious as the violence itself.
Palestinians must be free, but free from the oppression of Hamas and/or Hezbollah. Free to democratically choose their destiny (there have been no elections for 17 years). Palestinian women should be free to dress as they wish and move without control from the men in their family. And most importantly, they must be free to be educated without hateful biases and prejudices towards Israelis and Jews to achieve real peace.
הביטוי ״מנהר עד לים פלסטין תהיה חופשית״ צריך להיאסר משום שהוא קורא להשמדתה של מדינת ישראל. שהרי ישראל נמצאת בין הנהר לים, והביטוי אומר שצריך לההחליף את ישראל בפלסטין - מכך שקורא להשמדת ישראל
The phrase "From the river to the sea" implies the elimination of Israel and the expulsion or extermination of Jewish people from the land, essentially calling for a complete pogrom.
"From the river to the sea" means that palastine will take over Israel. People that says that means that there wont be Israel at all, from the sea to the Jordan river.
Lots of people around the globe calling this phrase and the agenda is to destroy Israel.
As you seen before and now, Pro Palastinian are blocking the enterance for Israelis and jews in the colleges and the universities around the US.
Pro palastinians are haeassing jews and Israelis with violence and sometimes even with murder.
This sentance is clearly against the Jews and the Israelis.
Look at the differance between pro palastinians protests and pro Israelis protests and you will see by your own where is the violance.
Please dont encourage it, if it will keep going the holocost will come back as we see right now at sports, eurovision, universities and the street.
Jews have only one state, even Mark is a jew.
From the river to the sea , This means killing all the Jews and expelling them from their country
the phrase “From the river to the sea.” calls for the complete destruction of the State of Israel.
It doesn't promote a Palestinian state along side with Israel (2 states) but INSTEAD of Israel and the annihilation of all Jews.
It is pure evil and must be banned
This sentence is a call for genocide of the Israeli, Jewish, Christian and even Muslim population living in Israel. Why allow it?