Language
What does ‘from the river to the sea’ mean?
EXPLAINED FROM SOURCES
The short answer
The river is the Jordan River. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. The land between them includes Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. When many Palestinians and pro-Palestinian protesters say “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” they say they are calling for Palestinians to have freedom and equal rights throughout that whole area — not for Jewish people to be expelled.
The fuller explanation
The river is the Jordan River. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. The land between them includes Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
When many Palestinians and pro-Palestinian protesters say “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” they say they are calling for Palestinians to have freedom and equal rights throughout that whole area — not for Jewish people to be expelled.
But the phrase is highly controversial.
Some Jewish organisations interpret it as calling for Israel to disappear as a Jewish state. Hamas and other groups seeking Israel’s elimination have also used versions of the phrase.
Other Palestinian activists explicitly say they mean freedom, equality and peaceful coexistence, rather than removing Israelis.
So the meaning depends on who is saying it and what they mean by it. It is inaccurate to assume everyone who uses the phrase is calling for violence — but it is also important to understand why some Jewish and Israeli people find it threatening.