CAM Calls on Facebook to Remove Anti-Semites from their Platforms

New York (March 17, 2020) – The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) calls on Facebook to remove anti-Semites and anti-Semitic content from its platform. On Sunday, CAM received dozens of grotesque anti-Semitic images and comments on our social media page while holding a Facebook Live event for our Venture Creative Contest awards ceremony which saw 30,000 participants, including those in quarantine around the world due to the coronavirus.

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, CAM held a virtual awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of our contest to combat anti-Semitism with keynote speakers Natan Sharansky and Elan Carr, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, as we held a Facebook Live event focused on combating anti-Semitism, our Facebook page was flooded with grotesque anti-Semitic images and comments throughout the duration of our event. As we held this global community discussion on combatting anti-Semitism, our audience was subjected to live anti-Semitic vitriol from Facebook users.

With anti-Semitism on the rise around the world, and with people of all backgrounds being radicalized on the internet, we call on Facebook to more vigorously monitor its platforms and ban anti-Semitic hate speech. As the recent tragedies of Pittsburgh, Poway, Halle and Jersey City demonstrate, anti-Semitic hate speech that originates online often incites violence. Facebook has a responsibility to more strongly enforce its terms of service and community guidelines while enhancing its efforts to prevent violent anti-Semitism from spreading on its platforms.

Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Director Sacha Roytman-Dratwa: This is not the first time that our Facebook page has been attacked by anti-Semites. Anti-Semites should be permanently banned from Facebook. Especially in these uncertain times, when we see anti-Semitic coronavirus conspiracy theories spreading online, we cannot allow anti-Semitic communications to target Jewish people online, including on Facebook Live. Facebook must do better.