Facebook blocks posts that call Jews “Zionists”

Facebook will suppress attacks on Jews labelled “Zionists” and warns that the term is being used to disguise anti-Semitism.

The social network announced that it would remove further posts in which the word “Zionist” is replaced with “Jew” or “Israel” unless the word is explicitly used in the context of discussing Zionism as a political movement.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, already prohibits insults based on protected characteristics such as a person’s race, sexual orientation or disability, but attacks on political positions and beliefs are allowed.

While Zionism was originally a political movement with the goal of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine, according to Meta, the word “Zionist” is generally used as a derogatory term against Jews.

Meta said it would target content that “uses anti-Semitic stereotypes or other threats of harm through intimidation or violence against Jews or Israelis under the guise of attacks on Zionists.”

Meta had previously banned certain expressions that included the word “Zionist,” such as those that compared “Zionists” to “rats,” an anti-Semitic cliché.

However, the company said its current moderation policies “do not adequately address the way people use the term ‘Zionist’ online and offline.”

The World Jewish Congress said Meta’s decision was “a significant step in the fight against the veiled anti-Semitism that has spread under the guise of political discourse.”

From now on, Meta will specifically ban posts that claim “Zionists” are in control of the world or the media. It will also block posts that use the term to make dehumanizing comparisons or incite physical violence.