Meta Platforms' Oversight Board said on Wednesday the Facebook parent should not automatically remove a phrase seen by some as displaying solidarity with Palestinians and by others as an endorsement of violence against Jews.
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, said the decision was "short-sighted." © Mena Today
Meta Platforms' Oversight Board said on Wednesday the Facebook parent should not automatically remove a phrase seen by some as displaying solidarity with Palestinians and by others as an endorsement of violence against Jews.
The board, which operates independently but is funded by the U.S. social media firm, said the phrase "From the river to the sea" has several meanings, and as such its use cannot in itself be deemed to be harmful, violent or discriminatory.
The phrase refers to the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, between which lie Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is often chanted at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Critics of the phrase say it is antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication. Other groups dispute that interpretation.
"Context is crucial," said Oversight Board co-chair Pamela San Martin. "Simply removing political speech is not a solution. There needs to be room for debate, especially during times of crisis and conflict."
This phrase clearly means to throw the Jews into the sea. There is no ambiguity about its meaning.
The Oversight Board said it came to the conclusion after it had reviewed three cases involving content posted on Facebook by different users containing the phrase.
"We welcome the board's review of our guidance on this matter," Meta said in a statement. "While all of our policies are developed with safety in mind, we know they come with global challenges and we regularly seek input from experts outside Meta, including the Oversight Board."
Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University that promotes free speech, called the decision by the board "thoughtful (and in my opinion, correct)."
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, said the decision was "short-sighted."
"Usage of this phrase has the effect of making members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community feel unsafe and ostracized," it said.
The board also called on Meta to improve access to data for journalists and researchers, less than a month after Meta discontinued CrowdTangle, a tool widely used to check misinformation and conduct research on content on Meta's platforms, including Instagram.
In this matter, the Meta board is demonstrating complete irresponsibility and culpable naivety.
Reporting by Akash Sriram
Spain, hosting a high-level meeting on Friday of several Muslim and European countries on ways to end the Gaza war, called for a clear schedule for the international community to implement a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The foreign ministers of several Muslim and European countries will meet in Madrid on Friday to discuss how to implement a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Spanish and Norwegian governments said.
The United Nations General Assembly is likely to vote next week on a Palestinian draft resolution demanding Israel end "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within six months.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.