NEW YORK – The World Jewish Congress, in reaction to a just-released report about Meta’s policies during the May 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict, emphasized that praise for terrorist organizations should not have any presence on the platform.
Controversially, the analysis conducted by the firm BSR recommended that Meta review its policies on “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations,” a move that could result in allowing users to make positive comments on the actions of terrorist groups such as Hamas, which also has a political entity.
“It is a myth that such groups have a legitimate political component that operates separate from their terrorist endeavors,” said Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC director of international affairs and human rights. “The intent of such moderation is not to limit freedom of speech, but to ensure that platforms are free from incitement and the glorification of violence that ultimately leads to real-world harm to vulnerable communities around the globe.”
Barak-Cheney also said, “It is unfortunate that while acknowledging that the conflict resulted in widespread antisemitism against Jewish communities worldwide, the BSR report does not provide further analysis and emphasis on subject. However, it speaks volumes that Meta has worked with Jewish organizations such as ours to safeguard their platforms and users from online hate and other harmful content. WJC, which has a deep relationship with Meta in combating online antisemitism and the manipulation of the facts surrounding the Holocaust, remains committed to this critical partnership.”
The collaboration has yielded concrete developments, including policies requiring the removal of Holocaust denial content from Meta’s online platforms. In January 2021, WJC and Meta (then Facebook), in coordination with UNESCO, together announced an initiative to connect the platform’s users to authoritative information about the Holocaust on the website AboutHolocaust.org.
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