Israel has accused Facebook’s oversight board of “endorsing a genocidal rallying cry” by ruling that the phrase “from the river to the sea” did not always glorify Hamas.
The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs alleged that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was “complicit in fostering a toxic and dangerous environment for Jewish users online” after it refused to take down posts featuring the Gaza protest slogan.
Responding to the decision, David Saranga, the acting deputy director general for public diplomacy at the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, said: “‘From the river to the sea’ is not merely a slogan – it is a genocidal rallying cry aimed at erasing Israel from the map.
“We hope Meta will take responsibility for this grave mistake and reverse their decision.”
Meta had declined to block three posts which included the phrase, which critics argue is anti-Semitic and implies the destruction of the state of Israel.
Users appealed against the ruling to the tech giant’s oversight board, a review panel that includes luminaries such as Alan Rusbridger, the former Guardian editor.
However, the board on Wednesday ruled that the phrase was “not by itself … harmful, violent or discriminatory”. It added the posts in question “did not glorify Hamas”.
In its decision, the board said that the slogan – a shortened version of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – was “often used as a political call for solidarity, equal rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people and to end the war in Gaza”.
The phrase is commonly used in protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its invasion in response to Hamas’s Oct 7 terror attack.
The board admitted, however, that it was “understood by some” as legitimising anti-Semitism. The phrase was used in a version of Hamas’s charter.
The Board took on three new cases involving content containing the phrase “From the River to the Sea.” Today we’re publishing our decision that the content did not break Meta’s rules on Hate Speech, Violence and Incitement or Dangerous Organizations and Individuals.
— Oversight Board (@OversightBoard) September 4, 2024
It said that a default block on the phrase by the tech giant would “hinder protected political speech in unacceptable ways”.
Israel has repeatedly clashed with tech giants over their handling of the conflict after videos of massacres spread rapidly online in the wake of the Oct 7 attacks.
A Meta spokesman said: “We welcome the board’s review of our guidance on this matter. 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.”
An oversight board spokesman said: “These issues must be treated extremely seriously, which is why the oversight board considered a broad range of views and information. These are documented in its nuanced decision.”
The oversight board said the decision should be read in full.
