Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Welcomes Facebook Move on Holocaust Denial, Calls for Enforcement of Regulations

Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, updated the CAM advisory board in an email outlining the new policy today, and expressed her appreciation for CAM’s “perspective and collaborative approach.”

12 October 2020 (New York) – Following ongoing engagement with Facebook’s senior policy figures, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement warmly welcomed Facebook’s decision to ban material promoting Holocaust denial from their platform.

The decision follows an incredibly productive meeting on the 24^th of August between the leadership of the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) and Monika Bickert, Facebook’s Global Head of Content Policy; Peter Stern, Facebook’s Director of Content Policy Stakeholder Engagement, and Jordana Cutler, Facebook’s Head of Policy for Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

Sacha Roytman-Dratwa, The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Director commented, “We have met with Facebook’s senior figures on this issue over the last year, and we are greatly encouraged by this move. This is an extremely positive step and demonstrates just how seriously Facebook is taking the issue. Their landmark decision, however, comes with great responsibility. The world’s most important social media platform is sending a message that Holocaust denial, and the hateful offence it causes is well beyond the realm of free speech. It must now show that it is prepared to not only enforce this important decision, but that it will censure the vitriolic voices which promulgate these lies.”

He added, “Moving forward, CAM will continue to advocate for Facebook and other social media platforms to account for new and nuanced forms of contemporary anti-Semitism as well as offering educational programs on anti-Semitism.”

The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations, across all religions and faiths, united around the goal of ending anti-Semitism in all its forms. Since its launching in February 2019, 280 organizations and 290,000 individuals have joined the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement by signing the campaign’s pledge. The CAM Pledge draws upon the IHRA international definition of anti- Semitism and its list of specific behaviors used to discriminate against the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel.