from the river to the sea

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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

  1. (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