Meta’s independent oversight board on Wednesday said usage of the phrase “from the river to the sea” is not inherently hateful and shouldn’t be automatically removed.
In a statement Wednesday, Meta’s Oversight Board said the phrase, often used by pro-Palestinian protestors, has many meanings that aren’t always associated with hate.
“In reviewing three cases involving different pieces of Facebook content containing the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” the board finds they did not break Meta’s rules on Hate Speech, Violence and Incitement or Dangerous Organizations and Individuals,” the board said. “The three pieces of content contain contextual signs of solidarity with Palestinians — but no language calling for violence or exclusion. They also do not glorify or even refer to Hamas, an organization designated as dangerous by Meta.”
The phrase concerns the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which flank Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Pro-Palestinian protestors often use the phrase at demonstrations and it’s often followed by “Palestine will be free.”
While a majority of the oversight board agreed with Meta’s decision not to take down posts containing the phrase, some disagreed, arguing that because the phrase is included in the 2017 Hamas charter it should be assumed that any use of the line constitutes “glorification of a designated entity.”
“While it can be understood by some as encouraging and legitimizing antisemitism and the violent elimination of Israel and its people, it is also often used as a political call for solidarity, equal rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people, and to end the war in Gaza,” the decision reads.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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