Global antisemitism on the streets of major cities, in large tech companies, and in elite and prestigious universities, is reaching an all-time alarming high. In the past couple of weeks alone, while Israel was on the brink of a major regional war with Iran, antisemitic incidents in Canada and the United States were rearing their ugly heads, and it has never been more terrifying.
One of the most common slogans we hear at these pro-Hamas rallies is the infamous "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free." It stems from an Arabic chant – "min el mayeh lel meyeh, falasteen arabiya," translating to "From water to water, Palestine is Arab."
While many pro-Hamas activists will claim, whether they are disingenuous or ignorant, that the chant refers to Palestinians living in equality, it is widely understood as an antisemitic call for the eradication of the Jewish state, situated between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The slogan is usually chanted in conjunction with, "There is only one solution: Intifada, Revolution," referring to the waves of violent terrorism in the 2000s all over Israel, which left over 1000 Israelis dead.
This week, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution that condemned the "From the River to the Sea" chant and labeled it as antisemitic. The motion passed in a vote of 377 to 44. Those who rejected the resolution were members of the Squad, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Cori Bush are notorious for their anti-Israel sentiments, which have gotten even worse after October 7.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer of the Democratic party was one of the House members who led the effort for this resolution and stated, "As members of Congress, we have a right – and a responsibility – to condemn disgusting, divisive and dehumanizing chants. I will never stop fighting against prejudice and hate – in any form."
This resolution is significant because it sets an important precedent for how the American (and global) public understands antisemitism. Anyone who knows the history of Jew-hate understands that it has shape-shifted throughout history and that it does not fit within the parameters of regular hate speech. Unique manifestations of antisemitism throughout history include blood libels, Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories, and the demonizing of the only Jewish state. All of these are examples of antisemitism that are generally not flagged or addressed because they are unique to Jewish people. It is not just Jewish people who have unique experiences of oppression. We have seen examples of this in the black community when non-black performers used theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of a black person, usually as a form of mocking them.
There is no denying that the "From the river to the sea" chant is calling for the eradication of the Jewish state. This chant is echoed in Hamas's constitution, where they stated in 2017 that "Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea." To responsibly and appropriately fight antisemitism, we need to call out its modern manifestations, and that includes racist chants by pro-Hamas activists. The terror group in Gaza demonstrated to the world precisely that they take this slogan seriously when they murdered 1200 people most brutally. The United States Senate now has a responsibility to bind this resolution legally and, at the very least, define the chant as antisemitic to properly fight it.
