How interpretations of the phrase 'from the river to the sea' made it so divisive

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November 9th, 2023

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Oct. 18, 2023, near the Capitol in Washington. On Monday, Nov. 6, Tlaib responded to criticisms from fellow Democrats regarding a video she posted Friday, Nov. 3, that included a clip of demonstrators chanting “from the river to the sea.” Tlaib said in her response that her “colleagues” are trying to silence her and are “distorting her words.” (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)

In the days since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s military response, some Palestinian rights advocates have returned to a common refrain: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

It’s a geographical nod to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea and the protracted tensions between Palestinians and Israeli Jews who live there.

But what does it actually mean? To some, it’s a rallying cry for the liberation of Palestinian people across the region, from Gaza to the West Bank and within Israel. To others, it is a violent call to erase Israel from existence invoked by militant groups such as Hamas.

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