What Does 'From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free' Mean?

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is facing backlash over her use of the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” What does this phrase mean?

Tlaib’s Words: In a post on X, Tlaib stated, “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”

“Genocide Against Jews”: Philip Klein (Lean Right bias) wrote that the phrase “represents calls for genocide against Jews.” Klein argues the phrase is not a call for a compromise or peaceful conclusion to the hostilities in the region, but instead serves as a rallying cry “for the elimination of Israel in its entirety. Israel is home to nearly half of the world’s Jewish population. The only way you can eliminate Israel and turn that whole area into Palestine is by killing millions of Jews.”

Changing Meaning: An analysis from Insider (Lean Left bias) determined the meaning of the phrase has shifted over time. According to the article, the phrase first gained popularity in the 1960s among Palestinians advocating for a “single secular, democratic state.” It was later adopted by Hamas, which states in its charter that it “rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine.” According to the article, in recent years, the phrase has come to mean “less about the eradication of Israel than the rights of Palestinians.”