Meta board says “from the river to the sea” isn’t always hate speech

Meta’s Oversight Board has found that the phrase “from the river to the sea” — a rallying cry for supporters of Palestinian rights — does not necessarily violate the Facebook owner’s policies on hate speech. 

The controversial phrase should not automatically be removed from posts on Facebook, Instagram or Threads, determined the board, which consists of lawyers and academics who weigh in on thorny decisions about the content permitted to run on the platforms.

“From the river to the sea,” sometimes followed by the words “Palestine will be free,” is a reference to the land in Israel between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which includes Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. The phrase has become a flashpoint in the ongoing tension over Palestinian rights and is often seen as expressing support for the elimination of Israel.

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

Meta formed its oversight board, which is funded by the company but operates independently, in 2019 to advise on whether the tech giant’s content moderation practices align with its policies and values. 

No calls for violence

Three Facebook posts containing the phrase expressed solidarity with Palestinians, but did not call for violence or exclusion, Meta’s Oversight Board stated on Wednesday. “They also do not glorify or even refer to Hamas, an organization designated as dangerous by Meta,” the panel determined. 

While the language could be viewed as “encouraging and legitimizing antisemitism and the violent elimination of Israel and its people, it is 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 Meta board said.

A spokesperson for Meta said the company welcomed the board’s review. “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.”

The Anti-Defamation League said it disagrees with Meta’s ruling about the phrase, which the ADL views as linked to calls for the destruction of Israel. 

“There are many ways to advocate for Palestinian justice and rights, including a Palestinian State, without resorting to using this hateful phrase,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated in a letter to the Oversight Board. 

The panel’s decision also drew criticism from Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, who called the phrase “blatant antisemitic hate speech” in a post on X.