Ruling by Meta on “From the River to the Sea” – Letters
The Issue: Meta’s oversight board ruling that the slogan “from the river to the sea” isn’t hate speech.
In the “world according to Mark Zuckerberg,” if you are an anti-Trumper or pro-Palestinian, you’ve got a friend in Facebook (“One-way free speech,” Sept. 6).
First, Meta CEO Zuckerberg admitted to Facebook censorship — which likely influenced the 2020 election against former President Donald Trump.
Now, his arbiters of free speech have determined that the slogan “from the river to the sea” isn’t hate speech, because it does not specifically mention violence against Jews.
Unless these “brain trusts” at Facebook think that the Israelis will voluntarily cede their homeland to Hamas, the only way “from the river to the sea” becomes a reality is to promote and commit violence against Israelis.
Jack Kaufman
Naples, Fla.
I’m quitting Facebook and Instagram.
Any entity that allows calls for the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews should not exist.
And I don’t want to hear Zuckerberg making a hollow apology about hate speech, as he did with censorship just a few weeks ago.
JJ Levine
Miami Beach, Fla.
Meta’s oversight board should call it like it is.
The vile phrase “from the river to the sea” is simply hate speech.
Thomas Birnbaum
Manhattan
It is inconceivable that Meta has an actual oversight board.
That they have concluded that this phrase is not antisemitic, when it does in fact call for the destruction of Israel, defies rational explanation — other than that the board sympathizes with the aims of Hamas.
I frankly cannot understand how Zuckerberg, a brilliant businessman, could have intentionally appointed this group of buffoons.
Mitchell Schwefel
Barnegat, NJ
The Palestinian Liberation Organization first used the phrase to mean the elimination of Israel, to be replaced with a secular state.
I bet most people chanting “from the river to the sea” have no knowledge of its origin.
To them, it likely means eliminate Jews.
Although ambiguous to Facebook, it is indeed an expression of hate.
Phil Serpico
Queens
The Issue: A longtime aide to Govs. Cuomo and Hochul arrested as an agent for China’s government.
I was shocked to read that a former top aide to Gov. Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo spied for China and influenced decisions when it came to Taiwan (“Spy bust has NY pols on red alert,” Sept. 4).
Hochul, meanwhile, should send the Chinese government a message that the espionage was a waste of time.
She should visit Taiwan and support freedom and democracy in the region.
We should let China know that there will be consequences for this kind of interference.
Spying may provide governments like China with short-term gains.
But we need to signal that it’s not worth it in the long term.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh
Our leaders have turned a blind eye to Chinese infiltration because so many of our businesses and universities have been bought off by the Chinese over the years.
Gary Mottola
Brooklyn
Why is it that every time there is an espionage scandal with a foreign adversary it seems to involve China and a Democrat?
The latest is Hochul’s former aide.
But there was also the instance of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s longtime driver, as well as the inquiry into Rep. Eric Swalwell, another California Democrat.
Robert DiNardo
Farmingdale
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