Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is the latest lawmaker to slam the Meta Oversight Board's ruling on Wednesday that the phrase “from the river to the sea” is not hate speech, even though Hamas has used the phrase in calling for the destruction of Israel.
Meta's independent committee, which Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg set up in 2019 to provide third-party oversight of the company, ruled on Wednesday that users of the company's Facebook and Instagram apps can continue to use the controversial rallying slogan.
“Fuck that,” Fetterman said. Post to X“This is blatant anti-Semitic hate speech that calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.”
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been frequently cited during pro-Palestinian protests since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip.
The Pennsylvania senator has been one of the most vocal Democrats in support of Israel.
While Trump said protesting in a “proper way” was “very American,” he also denounced the disruptive pro-Palestinian protests that have erupted on college campuses and outside businesses across the country.
“Showing up at a Starbucks with a bullhorn and starting to yell at people is an inappropriate, illegal and unhelpful way to advance your cause,” Fetterman previously told Fox News Digital.
He argued that such protest doesn't “ennoble a person,” but “just makes them a jerk.”
Fetterman criticized activists calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, instead arguing for the release of hostages being held there.
“I'm not in a position to tell Israel what to do. It's their choice,” he said.
Jewish groups were outraged by the watchdog's decision, calling it “shortsighted” and “ignorant” and warning that it would exacerbate “visceral hatred” against Jews.
The World Jewish Congress said Meta's board “failed to recognize that 'From the River to the Sea,' part of the Hamas terrorist organization's charter, is genocidal and anti-Semitic in nature and constitutes hate speech.”
The Anti-Defamation League opposed the commission's decision, saying the language was inherently anti-Semitic.
The slogan became a hot topic at congressional hearings as Jewish college students pleaded with lawmakers to hold universities accountable for a surge in anti-Semitism.
Meanwhile, hate crimes are on the rise across the country.
ADL is Anti-Semitic incidents increase by 337% This incident has not happened in the United States since Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in Israel.
There has also been a sharp increase in complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hatred. Up 178% since October 7thAccording to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Meta's 21-person panel reviewed three cases in which users reported posts using the phrase and determined that the posts did not violate Meta's hate speech rules because they did not explicitly call for violence against Jews or Israelis.
The committee said the three posts used the phrase as a “contextual signal of solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
“Because the phrase has no single meaning, a blanket ban on content containing the phrase, a default rule to remove such content, or using the phrase as an enforcement or review trigger would impermissibly interfere with protected political speech,” the board ruled.
Some social media users have argued that the ruling protects freedom of speech.
But Jewish and Israeli advocates have blasted Meta as hypocritical in its claims of free speech, given that it has previously blocked other forms of speech.
The social media giant suspended former President Donald Trump's account following the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Zuckerberg recently acknowledged that the company had censored COVID-19-related content under pressure from the Biden administration and had quashed The Washington Post's reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop scandal.
