from the river to the sea
English
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Etymology
[edit]A calque of Arabic مِنَ ٱلنَّهْرِ إِلَى ٱلْبَحْرِ (mina n-nahri ʔilā l-baḥri, “from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea”), popularized among Palestinians by the Palestine Liberation Organization, from Hebrew בין הים לירדן (“between the [Mediterranean] sea and the Jordan [river]”); as seen in the platform of the right-wing Zionist Likud party in 1977; both referring to the geography of Palestine.
Phrase
[edit]- (politics) A slogan expressing support for Palestinian self-determination.
- 2023 November 5, Ilan Pappe, “Why Israel wants to erase context and history in the war on Gaza”, in Al-Jazeera[1], 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”[2]:
- We demand your emancipation
From the river to the sea!
We stand with your emancipation;
Your people will be free!
Usage notes
[edit]- 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
[edit]Translations
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