Court rulings and official legal documents

Meta's Oversight Board Rules 'From the River to the Sea' Not Hate Speech, Upholds Three Uses

Sep 4, 2024, 03:25 PM

Meta's Oversight Board has ruled that the phrase 'from the river to the sea' is not necessarily hate speech when addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The board stated that the phrase, often seen as a pro-Palestinian expression, does not inherently incite violence or exclusion, and thus should not be automatically removed from Meta's platforms. This decision upholds Meta's previous stance on allowing the phrase in posts, despite criticism from entities like the Anti-Defamation League, which argues that the phrase calls for the dismantling of Israel and the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland. The board upheld three uses of the phrase, noting contextual signs of solidarity with Palestinians.