Demonstrators march with placards in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during a rally in Algiers, Oct. 19, 2023. (Credit: AFP)
Much has been written about the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”Since Oct. 7, the carnage that Israel unleashed in the Gaza Strip has given rise to tremendous solidarity with the Palestinian people. In the demonstrations that have taken over the streets and campuses in Europe and North America, the slogan has drawn particular attention from some political, intellectual and media classes. Behind the perceived controversy, it’s a manifestation of ideals for some, anxieties among others and concerns that it challenges the two-state paradigm as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to many Palestinians, the slogan sounds like a promise of liberation. For many Israeli Jews, it is perceived as an extinction threat.In any case, it’s difficult to reconstruct its origins. According to historian...
Much has been written about the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”Since Oct. 7, the carnage that Israel unleashed in the Gaza Strip has given rise to tremendous solidarity with the Palestinian people. In the demonstrations that have taken over the streets and campuses in Europe and North America, the slogan has drawn particular attention from some political, intellectual and media classes. Behind the perceived controversy, it’s a manifestation of ideals for some, anxieties among others and concerns that it challenges the two-state paradigm as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to many Palestinians, the slogan sounds like a promise of liberation. For many Israeli Jews, it is perceived as an extinction threat.In any case, it’s difficult to reconstruct its origins. According to...
