WASHINGTON (TNND) —
A new report by Zionism advocacy group Betar North America this week found a “systemic bias” against pro-Israel content across social media platforms operated by tech giant Meta.
Meta, the group wrote, repeatedly uses shadow bans, account removals and restrictions against users who share pro-Israel and Zionist content. These individuals often “self-censor out of fear” as content supporting Palestine continues to proliferate across these platforms, report authors wrote.
Betar itself was the subject of a ban after it shared a post about distributing pagers to “terror sympathizers,” it claimed.
The Meta Oversight Board, which operates independently of the company, ruled in September the term “from the river to the sea” does not violate Meta’s protocols on hate speech, nor does it contain “language calling for violence.” Several members of that board, Betar found, appear to have expressed pro-Palestinian sentiments in the past and may be biased against Jewish people.
“We call on governments worldwide to immediately investigate Meta’s complicity in Jew-hatred worldwide,” Betar wrote. “Meta’s policies have emboldened hate speech, and led to violence against Jews while silencing Zionist voices. In the US, we urge the incoming FCC chair to add Anti-Semitism to upcoming hearings.”
Meta must immediately meet with representatives of the Jewish community and Israeli leadership to address concerns about systemic bias and anti-Semitism on its platform,” the group added.
If Meta refuses to comply with these demands, Betar promised global protests, sit-ins at Meta buildings and boycotts. One such protest, it wrote, may even take place at the home of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
“We say to Meta, ‘instead of excessive apology and instead of turning our backs to the accusers – as there is nothing to apologize for, and nobody to apologize to – it is long overdue to respond to all current and future accusations, reproaches, suspicions, slanders and denunciations by simply folding our arms and loudly, clearly, coldly and calmly answer, ‘Go to Hell!’,” the authors wrote.
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“This report should terrify decent people worldwide,” they added. “As proud and strong Zionists, we are not Jews with trembling knees.”
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Meta told The National News Desk (TNND) “any implication that we deliberately suppress a particular voice is unequivocally false.”
“We will take action when we identify violations of our policies or Terms of Services,” the spokesperson said.
Meta has also made various updates to its policies in recent years, including prohibiting any content which “denies or distorts” the Holocaust.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed outrage with the Meta Oversight Board following the September ruling pertaining to use of “from the river to the sea.”
“F— that,” Sen. Fetterman posted on X. “It’s blatant antisemitic hate speech calling for the elimination of Israel from the map.”