Meta has decided that the phrase “From the River to the Sea” does not breach its content policies. This slogan, historically associated with pro-Palestinian movements, was reviewed by Meta’s Oversight Board after being used in posts during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The board, which holds Meta’s highest authority in content moderation, examined three cases where the phrase was featured in Facebook posts. These instances were scrutinized amidst accusations of the phrase being anti-Semitic by Israel.
The Oversight Board concluded that these posts did not violate rules against hate speech, violence and incitement, or dangerous organizations and individuals and, therefore, should not be removed. The majority of the board recognized that the phrase can carry various meanings and is used differently by different people, noting that the examined content showed signs of solidarity with Palestinians without promoting violence or exclusion.
The geographical context of the phrase spans from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, covering Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. It is commonly employed to express support for Palestinian self-determination and equal rights or to endorse a one-state solution where Jews and Palestinians coexist.
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However, it’s important to note that many in the Israeli and Jewish communities see the slogan as a call for the violent removal of Israel as a Jewish state.
A minority of the board expressed concerns that given the usage of the phrase following Hamas’s attacks on October 7, which reignited the conflict, its presence in posts should be presumed as glorification of the group and violence unless explicitly indicated otherwise.
