Meta concludes that the slogan 'From the river to the sea,' also used in the Palestinian liberation movement, 'may not be considered hate speech'

by Alisdare Hickson

Meta has expressed its views on the use of the phrase 'from the river to the sea,' which has long been used by both Israelis and Palestinians and has been used in the context of the pro-Palestinian Palestinian liberation movement in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli war that began in 2023, on its platform.

New Decision Highlights Why Standalone Use of “From the River to the Sea” Should Not Lead to Content Removal | Oversight Board
https://www.oversightboard.com/news/new-decision-highlights-why-standalone-use-of-from-the-river-to-the-sea-should-not-lead-to-content-removal/

From the River to the Sea Bundle | Transparency Center
https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/oversight/oversight-board-cases/from-the-river-to-the-sea-bundle/

Meta shouldn't remove 'from the river to the sea' as hate speech, says Oversight Board - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/4/24235675/meta-oversight-board-river-to-the-sea-hate-speech-decision

'From the river to the sea' means 'from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea' and has been used by both Palestine and Israel to mean that these areas should comprise one state, etc.

According to Al Jazeera, a news media based in Qatar, the phrase 'from the river to the sea' has various interpretations, and has been used in several demonstrations in the context of 'Palestine will be free from the river to the sea' in the 2023 Palestine-Israel war. On the other hand, some pro-Israel activists consider this expression to be 'anti-Semitic'.

Elon Musk, owner of X, said that a phrase like 'from the rivers to the sea' necessarily implies genocide.

As I said earlier this week, “decolonization”, “from the river to the sea” and similar euphemisms necessarily imply genocide.

Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension. https://t.co/1fCFo5Lezb

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 17, 2023

On Meta, three posts using the phrase 'from the river to the sea' were under review, and how these posts should be interpreted was being discussed through the ' oversight committee ' that oversees the censorship of content on the Meta platform.

The committee concluded that 'there was no call for violence or exclusion in any of the three posts,' and made its conclusion public, along with its position on the phrase 'from the river to the sea,' making it clear that it would not censor it unless it was used in a context that called for violence.

Meta said, 'The majority of the committee recognizes that the phrase has multiple meanings. While some interpret it as a phrase that advocates anti-Semitism and the violent elimination of Israel, it is also often used as a call for Palestinian unity, equality and an end to the war. Given this fact, the mere use of the phrase cannot be understood as advocating the exclusion of any particular group or as supporting the militant organization Hamas. Given its multiple meanings, banning the phrase outright or creating rules that would prohibit it would stifle political speech.'

However, a minority of the committee said it was of the opinion that 'unless there is a clear statement that the phrase does not support Hamas or the October 7, 2023 attacks, we should assume that it glorifies Hamas.'