Meta will remove the term from its platform

Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said that if it is determined that the word “Zionism” is used in the sense of “hate speech and insults”, the posts will be removed from their platforms.

A statement published on Meta’s website said the decision to change the regulations came after consultations on the use of the word “Zionism”.

The statement stressed that a distinction should be made between “legitimate” political discussions based on the word and hate speech against individuals, and that the use of the word “Zionism” against Jews and Israelis in the context of “calls for violence” is not permitted.

The statement noted that the word would be allowed to be posted when it is associated with a political movement, adding: “Going forward, we will remove posts where the word ‘Zionism’ is not clearly associated with a political movement and where it implies harm to Jewish people or Israelis through violence or intimidation.”