From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free?
Antisemitic slogan or call for liberation from oppression
<--The Australian Greens' Peace Plan for the Middle East
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is an antisemitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations.
This rallying cry has long been used by anti-Israel voices, including supporters of terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the PFLP, which seek Israel’s destruction through violent means. It is fundamentally a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, which would mean the dismantling of the Jewish state. It is an antisemitic charge denying the Jewish right to self-determination, including through the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland.
Usage of this phrase has the effect of making members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community feel unsafe and ostracized. It is important to note that demanding justice for Palestinians, or calling for a Palestinian state, should not mean, as this hateful phrase posits, denying the right of the State of Israel to exist. ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE
Whether you agree with the ADL interpretation or the more benign interpretation as call for equality for all inhabitants of historic Palestine, either way it is unhelpful because it stokes the politics of division.
Where once this slogan was inspirational and unifying, it has now become a focal point for those promoting hate and division and a hurdle to the peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? (Agree/Disagree)
***
About PByT Surveys & Open Democracy
The PByT surveys represent a rolling snapshot of global sentiment from real people whose identity has been verified. The results can be analyzed in a variety of ways to get a better understanding of key issues utilizing Bayesian statistics - a mathematical concept that updates beliefs in light of new data or evidence.
As a result, these surveys have the potential to be the most definitive resources on some of the most critically important issues of modern times and serve as the basis for the idea of "open democracy."
Have your say and help shape the interconnected world of tomorrow based on trust, mutual-aid and cooperation.
Feedback welcome
Please log in to give feedback.
Connect