Meta board says "from the river to the sea" isn't always hate speech

Meta's Oversight Board has recovered that nan building "from nan stream to nan sea" — a rallying outcry for supporters of Palestinian authorities — does not needfully break nan Facebook owner's policies connected dislike speech. 

The controversial phrase should not automatically beryllium removed from posts connected Facebook, Instagram aliases Threads, wished nan board, which consists of lawyers and academics who measurement successful connected thorny decisions astir nan contented permitted to tally connected nan platforms.

"From nan stream to nan sea," sometimes followed by nan words "Palestine will beryllium free," is simply a reference to nan onshore successful Israel betwixt nan Jordan River and nan Mediterranean Sea, which includes Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories successful nan West Bank. The building has go a flashpoint successful nan ongoing hostility complete Palestinian authorities and is often seen arsenic expressing support for nan elimination of Israel.

In November, for example, nan House voted to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who is simply a Palestinian American, aft she posted a video that included footage of protesters chanting nan phrase.

Meta formed its oversight board, which is funded by nan institution but operates independently, successful 2019 to counsel connected whether nan tech giant's contented moderation practices align pinch its policies and values. 

No calls for violence

Three Facebook posts containing nan building expressed solidarity pinch Palestinians, but did not telephone for unit aliases exclusion, Meta's Oversight Board stated connected Wednesday. "They besides do not glorify aliases moreover mention to Hamas, an statement designated arsenic vulnerable by Meta," nan sheet determined. 

While nan connection could beryllium viewed arsenic "encouraging and legitimizing antisemitism and nan convulsive elimination of Israel and its people, it is often utilized arsenic a governmental telephone for solidarity, adjacent authorities and self-determination of nan Palestinian people, and to extremity nan warfare successful Gaza," nan Meta committee said.

A spokesperson for Meta said nan institution welcomed nan board's review. "While each of our policies are developed pinch information successful mind, we cognize they travel pinch world challenges and we regularly activity input from experts extracurricular Meta, including nan Oversight Board."

The Anti-Defamation League said it disagrees pinch Meta's ruling astir nan phrase, which nan ADL views arsenic linked to calls for nan demolition of Israel. 

"There are galore ways to advocator for Palestinian justness and rights, including a Palestinian State, without resorting to utilizing this hateful phrase," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated successful a letter to nan Oversight Board. 

The panel's determination besides drew disapproval from Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, who called nan building "blatant antisemitic dislike speech" successful a post connected X.