What “From The River To the Sea” Actually Means
In the aftermath of what is widely described as the most deadly massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, thousands of college students poured into city streets, chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Yet many participants probably did not know which river or sea the slogan referenced, nor did they pause to consider what “freedom” for Palestine would entail. It is unlikely they were exposed to the more precise Arabic rendering of the chant, which translates to “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Arab.” Simply put, such a vision would erase the world’s sole Jewish state and forcefully remove Jews from the land.
A recent survey sheds light on Palestinian attitudes toward a Jewish state:
West Bank Palestinians are divided over Israel’s right to exist, and over whether its existence could be brought to an end at some point, according to a study by Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.
The findings show that 41% of respondents say Israel has a right to exist, while 46% say it does not. In a separate question, 42% believe it would be possible to end Israel’s existence, either in the near or distant future. Conversely, 32% think ending Israel’s existence is impossible. . . .
No proposed political framework for resolving the conflict commands majority support. Twenty-seven percent back a two-state solution; 22% favor a single binational state with full equal rights; 26% advocate a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea” — encompassing all of what they regard as “historic Palestine” — with no permanent Jewish presence; and 17% favor a Palestinian state across the entire territory in which Jews could live as citizens or residents.
I do not pretend to have the answers about how this conflict should be resolved, but Americans who weigh in on the subject would do well to understand how Palestinians might respond if their land were considered to be “free.”
