Pennsylvania's Democratic Senator, John Fetterman, has joined the chorus of voices condemning the recent decision by Meta's Oversight Board.
The board ruled that the phrase "from the river to the sea" does not constitute hate speech, despite its use by Hamas in calls for Israel's destruction. This controversial ruling has sparked outrage among many, including Fetterman, who is known for his vocal support of Israel.
According to The New York Post, Fetterman took to social media to express his disapproval, stating, Fk that. Its blatant antisemitic hate speech calling for the elimination of Israel from the map. The phrase in question has been a common rallying cry during pro-Palestinian protests following the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza strip.
Fetterman, one of the few Democratic officials who openly supports Israel, has criticized disruptive pro-Palestinian protests across the country. He has previously stated that while protesting is "very American," it should be done in an "appropriate way." He told Fox News Digital, It is not appropriate or legal or helpful to advance your argument if you show up in a Starbucks with a bullhorn and start yelling at people. He added that such actions don't "make you noble" but rather, "it just makes you an ahole.
The Pennsylvania senator has also criticized activists calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, instead advocating for the release of hostages held in Gaza. He stated, I am not going to be in a position to tell Israel what it should do. Thats their choice.
The ruling by Meta's independent board, established by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2019 as a third-party check on the company, has been met with outrage by Jewish groups. They have labeled the decision as "short-sighted" and "ill-informed," warning that it could exacerbate "visceral hate" against Jews. The World Jewish Congress stated that the board failed to recognize that from the River to the Sea, which is part of the Hamas Terrorist Organizations Charter, is inherently genocidal and antisemitic and should constitute hate speech.
The Anti-Defamation League also disagreed with the board's decision, asserting that the phrase is inherently antisemitic. This comes at a time when antisemitic incidents are on the rise in the US, with the ADL reporting a 337% increase since Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in Israel.
The board's ruling was based on three cases where users reported posts using the controversial phrase. The board concluded that these posts did not violate Meta's hate speech rules as they did not explicitly call for violence against Jewish or Israeli people. The board argued that the phrase was used with contextual signals of solidarity with Palestinians.
However, this decision has been met with skepticism and criticism, particularly from Jewish and Israeli advocates who argue that Meta's stance on free speech is hypocritical. This is due to the company's history of blocking other forms of speech, including the suspension of former President Donald Trump's accounts following the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots and the censoring of COVID-19 content and coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal under pressure from the Biden administration.
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