On the history, meaning, and power of “From the River To the Sea”
Slogans are never just statements etched in stone and "From the River to the Sea" is no exception. Its history, use, and the controversy it generates, reflects the liberatory aspirations, and backlash against, the movement for Palestinian freedom.
BY ELLIOTT COLLA
NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON: FREE PALESTINE, NOVEMBER 4, 2023. (PHOTO: LAURA ALBAST)
It is unclear when and where the slogan the slogan “from the river to the sea,” first emerged within Palestinian protest culture. There are many online sources that confidently claim that it emerged from within the post-67 Palestinian militant movements but provide no documentation for this. The Palestinian revolutionary media of the 60s and 70s is replete with rich and pithy political slogans—but in those sources, I have yet to enco...










