"Cohn claims that the phrase, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' is controversial 'because it speaks for liberation from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea – with no Israel to speak of.' The reality, however, is that Israel is the occupying power, ‘from the river to the sea.’"
Re: “March 17 2023
Cohn claims that the phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is controversial “because it speaks for liberation from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea – with no Israel to speak of.” The reality, however, is that Israel is the occupying power, ‘from the river to the sea.’ In the West Bank, Palestinians have been under military occupation since 1967 and have been denied their basic, fundamental human rights. Palestinians in the Gaza strip have been under a land, sea and air blockade imposed by Israel for over 15 years as a form of collective punishment. In parallel, Palestinian citizens of Israel face discriminatory and racist laws. As such, when Palestinians and their allies, like Sarah Jama, call for freedom from the river to the sea, they are calling for an end to Israel’s regime of apartheid, occupation, and racism.
Reem Majid
Policy Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East