US House resolution condemns 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' chant as 'antisemitic'

A US House resolution has been passed that describes the popular pro-Palestinian protest slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as antisemitic and that its use must be condemned.

The measure passed by an overwhelming majority of 377-44-1, with 43 Democrats and one Republican voting against it and with one member voting "present" on Tuesday.

The text of the resolution notes that the words are used in speeches by the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated by US Congress as "foreign terrorist organisations". 

Most of those who voted against the resolution were progressive-leaning Democrats, many of them currently campaigning in competitive primary races, including Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush of Missouri, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Jamaal Bowman of New York.

The phrase has sparked intense debate since its use became more widespread amid daily protests against Israel's war on Gaza following the Hamas-led 7 October surprise attack on Israeli military bases and civilian settlements within and around the Gaza envolope, which killed around 1,200. Israel's indiscriminate war on Gaza has killed around 34,000, mainly women and children.

The resolution was part of a series of measures in the House this week related to antisemitism and rhetoric against Israel. Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan has been censored for invoking the phrase.

Though these words said by Palestinians and their advocates are widely seen as provocative, Israelis, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have used the same term to describe claims to the land. A version is used in the Likud Party's charter.

"The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable… therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan, there will only be Israeli sovereignty," according to the 1977 Likud Party Platform.

Nevertheless, the focus of the phrase remains on pro-Palestinian advocates, whose chants will likely see further scrutiny as the conflict continues.