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from the river to the sea. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
from the river to the sea, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
from the river to the sea in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
A calque of Arabic مِنَ ٱلنَّهْرِ إِلَى ٱلْبَحْرِ (mina n-nahri ʔilā l-baḥri, “from the river to the sea”), popularized among Palestinians by the Palestine Liberation Organization, from Hebrew בין הים לירדן (“between the sea and the Jordan ”); as seen in the platform of the right-wing Zionist Likud party in 1977; both referring to the geography of Palestine.
Phrase
from the river to the sea
- (politics) A slogan expressing support for Palestinian self-determination.
- Synonym: from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free
2023 November 5, Ilan Pappe, “Why Israel wants to erase context and history in the war on Gaza”, in Al-Jazeera, archived from the original on 5 November 2023:The way out [of this cycle of violence] remains the same: a change of regime in Israel that brings equal rights for everyone from the river to the sea[.]
2023, Seth Staton Watkins (lyrics and music), “Oh Palestine, Oh Palestine”:We demand your emancipation
From the river to the sea!
We stand with your emancipation;
Your people will be free!
Usage notes
- This term is generally spoken with the phrase "Palestine will be free" either preceding or succeeding it, although uses on its own are attested.
- Pro-Israel groups criticize the phrase, saying it implies that the state of Israel should not exist, and thus denies the Jewish people's right to self-determination. Pro-Palestine groups say it is an expression of support for Palestine's right to self-determination and freedom from Israeli rule, and is unrelated to Jews as a whole.
Translations