Summarised by Centrist
The Meta Oversight Board recently reviewed three cases involving Facebook posts that contained the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” commonly associated with the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The board found that the phrase, in these instances, did not violate Meta’s rules on hate speech, violence, or incitement.
The content was seen as expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, without explicit calls for violence or the glorification of Hamas, which Meta designates as a dangerous organisation.
The board concluded in its 32-page review that the phrase has different meanings and can’t automatically be classified as hateful.
While it’s sometimes linked to violence or anti-Israel sentiments, it can also represent peaceful advocacy for Palestinian rights.
However, a minority on the board argued that, because Hamas used the phrase in its 2017 charter, Meta should err on the side of caution and assume such posts glorify terrorism unless proven otherwise. The phrase has long been controversial. While some consider it a slogan for Palestinian solidarity, others, including the Anti-Defamation League, argue that it denies Israel’s right to exist and is inherently antisemitic.
Meta was urged to improve data access tools for researchers assessing such content during conflicts and to track the spread of hate speech related to protected characteristics like race and religion.
The board highlighted, “There is no indication that the content called for violence or exclusion against Jewish or Israeli people.”
This ruling means that similar posts, as long as they don’t advocate violence, will remain allowed on Meta’s platforms.
Editor’s note: Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick previously stirred controversy by using the chant at a rally in Auckland in support of Palestine.
