“From the River to the Sea” | #TranslateHate
“From the River to the Sea”
noun \ ‘fruhm ‘thə ‘RIVər ‘too ‘thə ‘si \
: a phrase that can be used to call for the elimination of the State of Israel and/or ethnic cleansing of Jews living there, to be replaced with Palestinian control over the entire territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea
WHEN IT’S ANTISEMITIC:
The phrase “From the River to the Sea,” refers to the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It includes the entirety of the territory of the State of Israel (in addition to the West Bank and Gaza).
While its origins are unknown, in the 1960s and 70s it became the signature phrase of the Palestine Liberation Organization to indicate the replacement of the State of Israel with a State of Palestine extending “from the river to the sea,” including the expulsion of Jews. The phrase soon after became a rallying cry for terrorist groups including Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israeli civilians, murdering over 1,200 people and taking over 250 people hostage.
The phrase “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” has become prevalent in public discourse, including online and on social media, particularly since the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, and in the context of protests opposing Israel’s responding military operation in Gaza.
Using the phrase to call for the erasure of the State of Israel or ethnic cleansing of Jews from the land, or simply to harass Jews, is antisemitic. Indicators of antisemitic usage include when the phrase appears alongside (a) text, images, or symbols signaling violence, including references to organizations that advocate for Israel’s violent destruction like Hamas and their leaders or other symbols associated with them, or (b) text, images, or symbols signaling a call for discrimination against Jews, including the exclusion of Jews (or “Zionists,” as a proxy for Jews or Israelis), from social groups, political institutions, professional settings, or the territory of the State of Israel itself. Use of this phrase to deliberately intimidate and harass Jewish people, communities, and/or institutions is also antisemitic.
While the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” is regularly used in this deeply problematic manner, it is also true that some use the phrase without knowledge of its meaning to the majority of Jews. They assert that the phrase is not about the eradication of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, but is instead a chant used in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and as a call for human rights and equality across the land. Advocacy for Palestinian rights or for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel is not antisemitic. It is important to note, however, that regardless of intent, the majority of American Jews hear the phrase “From the River to the Sea” as antisemitic.
