„From the river to the sea“ is a Palestinian nationalist slogan used in the context of many pro-Palestine demonstrations. It expresses the Palestinians‘ desire to remove the state of Israel from the map. Demonstration slogans continue to emerge from the ranks of Palestinians. Most recently, the slogan „From the river to the sea“ was banned by German constitutional law and consequently may no longer be used in demonstrations in this country.
Palestine is a state, sometimes not internationally recognized, located in the middle of Israeli territory. In the course of Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Palestinian demonstrations took place all over the world. Among other things, the slogan „From the river to the sea“ was coined during these. What this means exactly and why it is experiencing tremendous hype among Palestinians (and pro-Palestinians) right now, more information is provided in the following article.
„From the river to the sea“: Banned in Germany
Update: 11.11.2023
The slogan „From the river to the sea“ was banned in Germany by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs on November 2, 2023. This happened as a result of the Hamas ban.
In detail: On November 2, 2023, the German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) issued a ban on Hamas. The ban includes a list of symbols (logos, signs, slogans and slogans) that are now prohibited. This list also includes the slogan „From the river to the sea“ in German.
This ban now ensures that public prosecutors can take tougher action against the use of „From the river to the sea“ and that the slogan is no longer covered by freedom of expression.
Justification: The slogan „From the river to the sea“ seems to express the seemingly harmless wish that Palestine should be free. But behind this is the demand to destroy Israel. Because the land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River is not free or uninhabited, it is Israel. In order for Palestine to become free in the sense of the demand, Israel would have to be wiped out and disappear.
Conceptual interpretation of „From the river to the sea“
The expression „From the river to the sea“ is composed of the words „from“, „the river“, „to“ and „the sea“. Combined, „From the river to the sea“ could be translated as „From the river to the sea“.
What is meant by „river“ is the Jordan River, which is located on Israel’s eastern border with Jordan. (Israel and Jordan share the river.) The sea means the Mediterranean Sea. The territory of Israel, in effect, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. „From the river to the sea“ now indicates that the Palestinians claim this territory for themselves and that this should no longer represent Israel.
„From the river to the sea“ is therefore a nationalist slogan that wants to express that Israel is the enemy and the territory of Israel should be dissolved. It thus questions Israel’s right to exist and is considered unconstitutional not least for this reason.
Origin and meaning of „From the river to the sea“
From the river to the sea“ is a pro-Palestinian slogan that originated in the course of worldwide pro-Palestine demonstrations. It expresses the sentiment that Israel’s right to exist should be questioned. Israel had attacked Gaza in the wake of a Hamas raid in October 2023. Many Palestinians and Arabs worldwide see this as an unjustified act. As a result, Palestinian flags at demonstrations around the world were emblazoned with the slogan „From the river to the sea.“ This was meant to express that Israel would have no right to exist anyway and that the current territory of Israel had always been Arab. In addition to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the rest of Israel’s territory was also to be „neutralized“ (by which acts of war are meant).
Use of „From the river to the sea“
„From the river to the sea“ is now considered a forbidden saying, but we nevertheless encounter it today in a wide variety of contexts. Among them are, for example, the following uses:
- Pro-Palestine demonstrations
- Islam
- Social Media
In the subsections that follow, we will now go into a bit more detail about the main uses of „From the river to the sea“ mentioned above.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations
In pro-Palestine demonstrations, the slogan „From the river to the sea“ is often written on flags or banners. It is meant to express that Israel’s right to exist should be questioned. In addition to „From the river to the sea“, the slogan „Free Palestine“ is also used, for example. Here, too, it is meant that Palestine is currently occupied by the Israelis, or that the Israeli attack in October 2023 is unjustified. Palestinians and pro-Palestinians worldwide use the slogan „From the river to the sea“ to live out their nationalist fantasies. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution recognized this recently and henceforth banned the slogan at demonstrations.
Islam
The pro-Palestine demonstrations are mainly sympathized with by members of Islam. The reason is that the war between Palestine and Israel is secretly an Islamic-Jewish war. „From the river to the sea“ can therefore also be classified as racist and anti-Semitic. The subtext of „From the river to the sea“ is that Israel and its predominantly Jewish population should be wiped out or expelled. This attitude is supported in Islamic countries.
Social Media
From the river to the sea“ is also spreading rapidly on social media. Here, the slogan is mainly used in the form of video and image captions and also in the form of hashtags. In the future, however, „From the river to the sea“ is likely to become a banned term here as well, since it is extremely racist or nationalistic. Nevertheless, many Palestinians and pro-Palestinians still use the phrase „From the river to the sea“ on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
Social classification of „From the river to the sea“
Socially, „From the river to the sea“ can be attributed primarily to Palestinians themselves, as well as pro-Palestinians and people with an Islamic background. These groups of people are therefore the main target group for „From the river to the sea“. Other people understand the slogan, but classify it as racist and nationalistic and therefore neither use it nor tolerate it.
Criticisms of „From the river to the sea“
„From the river to the sea“ has drawn considerable criticism, especially in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a Palestinian nationalist slogan used at many pro-Palestinian demonstrations, expressing a desire to wipe the state of Israel off the map. Not without reason, therefore, „From the river to the sea“ has been banned by German constitutional law, among others, because of its provocative and inflammatory nature. Critics also argue that it promotes a one-state solution that would exclude Israel, which is a highly controversial and debated issue in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian war.
Conclusion on „From the river to the sea“ and similar terminology
The bottom line is that „From the river to the sea“ can be described as a pro-Palestinian saying that implies Palestine should extend from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. There, however, lies the present territory of Israel, which in the eyes of the Palestinians should be eliminated. The slogan is considered unconstitutional because it is racist and strongly nationalistic.
In addition to „From the river to the sea“, there are also the slogans „Free Palestine“ and „Palestine will be free“. Both slogans are also aimed at putting Israel, the supposed occupier, to flight, or at persuading the Palestinian population that Israel will eventually suffer defeat.