[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2430-H2432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE SLOGAN, 
 ``FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE'' IS ANTISEMITIC 
                     AND ITS USE MUST BE CONDEMNED

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 883) expressing the sense of 
the House of Representatives that the slogan, ``from the river to the 
sea, Palestine will be free'' is antisemitic and its use must be 
condemned.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 883

       Whereas the slogan ``from the river to the sea, Palestine 
     will be free'' is an antisemitic call to arms with the goal 
     of the eradication of the State of Israel, which is located 
     between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea;
       Whereas the slogan seeks to deny Jewish people the right to 
     self-determination and calls for the removal of the Jewish 
     people from their ancestral homeland;
       Whereas Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, 
     and other terrorist organizations and their sympathizers have 
     used and continue to use this slogan as a rallying cry for 
     action to destroy Israel and exterminate the Jewish people;
       Whereas this rallying cry can promote violence against the 
     State of Israel and the Jewish community globally;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas committed a barbaric and 
     uncivilized slaughter against the Jewish people, killing 
     1,200 people;
       Whereas victims of this massacre included children, the 
     elderly, Holocaust survivors, and women, who were murdered 
     indiscriminately in their homes, communities, public spaces, 
     and at a music festival;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas reportedly beheaded 
     dozens of babies, committed countless atrocities, and 
     violently raped women;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas recorded and broadcasted 
     to the world mutilation, desecration, and public parading of 
     bodies;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas took over 240 hostages, 
     including children, women, elderly Israelis, Americans, and 
     other foreign nationals;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered the highest 
     number of Jewish people since the Holocaust;
       Whereas Hamas' 2017 Charter states, ``Hamas rejects any 
     alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, 
     from the river to the sea.'';
       Whereas Hamas' 2017 Charter states, ``There shall be no 
     recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity.'';
       Whereas Hamas' 2017 Charter states, ``Resistance and jihad 
     for the liberation of Palestine will remain a legitimate 
     right.'';
       Whereas this slogan is used by the same people who utter 
     ``death to America'' and ``death to Israel'';
       Whereas former Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal called for the 
     ``day of rage'', a global mobilization against the State of 
     Israel, which had profound consequences for Jewish 
     communities around the world;
       Whereas a member of the Hamas political bureau, Ghazi 
     Hamad, in an interview about the October 7 massacres, vowed, 
     ``We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice and 
     three times. The Al-Aqsa Deluge is just the first time, and 
     there will be a second, a third, a fourth.'';
       Whereas Ghazi Hamad, in the same interview, responded, 
     ``Yes, of course'', when asked if he believed in the 
     annihilation of Israel;
       Whereas the Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah 
     stated, ``Palestine, from the sea to the river is the 
     property of Arabs and Palestinians and no one has the right 
     to give up even a single grain of earth or one stone.'';
       Whereas Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, on November 11, 
     2023, stated that the only solution to this war is ``The 
     establishment of the Palestinian State from the river to the 
     sea.'';
       Whereas the founder of al-Qaeda and the perpetrator of the 
     9/11 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden, stated, ``Borders 
     must be opened by force so as to obtain all the necessary 
     requirements to liberate the entire Palestine from the river 
     to the sea, God willing.'';
       Whereas the former Dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, 
     stated, ``Glorious and sublime are our martyrs in Palestine, 
     Iraq, and the nation as a whole. Long live Palestine, free 
     and Arab, from the sea to the river'', and ``Palestine is 
     Arab and must be liberated from the river to the sea'';
       Whereas this slogan neglects the fact that innocent 
     civilians are used as human shields by Hamas;
       Whereas Hamas intentionally locates its military weapons 
     supply depots and intelligence outposts directly under and 
     within civilian populated sites such as schools, mosques, 
     residential buildings, and hospitals such as the Al Shifa 
     Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza;
       Whereas using civilians as human shields for protecting 
     weapons and fighters from a lawful attack is considered a war 
     crime;
       Whereas hateful rhetoric obstructs peace efforts;
       Whereas the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish 
     Committee deem this slogan antisemitic;
       Whereas this slogan incites fear within the Jewish 
     community in the United States and around the world;
       Whereas students attending institutions of higher education 
     have chanted and continue to chant this slogan since the 
     barbarous October 7 massacres, yet all the while, their 
     fellow Jewish students are being harassed and intimidated; 
     and
       Whereas this slogan has been used recently by violent 
     protestors throughout the United States and the world: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the slogan, ``from the river to the sea, Palestine will 
     be free'', is outrightly antisemitic and must be strongly 
     condemned;
       (2) this slogan is divisive and does a disservice to 
     Israelis, Palestinians, and all those in the region who seek 
     peace;
       (3) this slogan rejects calls for peace, stability, and 
     safety in the region;
       (4) this slogan perpetuates hatred against the State of 
     Israel and the Jewish people; and
       (5) anyone who calls for the eradication of Israel and the 
     Jewish people are antisemitic and must always be condemned.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this 
measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I thank our colleague from New York (Mr. D'Esposito) 
for introducing this important bipartisan resolution to condemn anti-
Semitic speech.
  Hamas' horrific and murderous attack on Israel on October 7 massacred 
over 1,200 innocent people. Hamas terrorists committed brutal sexual 
assaults. They took over 250 people hostage and held them in wretched 
conditions.

[[Page H2431]]

  October 7 was the deadliest day for people of Jewish faith since the 
Holocaust.
  Since that awful day 6 months ago, we have seen a shocking rise in 
anti-Semitic attacks, symbolism, and speech, including a resurgence of 
the slogan ``from the river to the sea.''
  This phrase, ``from the river to the sea,'' comes directly from the 
terrorist organization's covenant. Hamas is clear about their ultimate 
goal: the destruction of the State of Israel and the death of Jews 
around the world.
  Article 7 of the August 18, 1988, Hamas Covenant calls for chasing 
every Jew behind trees and rocks until the last Jew is found behind a 
rock and is killed.
  We must be clear. This rallying cry, and others like it, have no 
place in a peaceful and tolerant society. ``From the river to the sea'' 
refers to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. 
This language calls for entirely destroying the State of Israel and 
replacing it with the Palestinian state.
  Slogans like this are clearly anti-Semitic and hateful. They 
inherently support the destruction of Israel and denying Jews their 
right of self-determination of any kind.
  Promoting violence against Israel and Jews is anti-Semitism, and we 
have the responsibility in Congress to condemn such language.
  With this resolution, we are condemning this hate speech and standing 
with our valued ally, Israel. We understand the chant of Tehran 
gruesomely in English, ``Death to Israel, death to America.''
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, the 10-word slogan ``from the river to the 
sea, Palestine will be free'' means different things to different 
people. For many well-meaning supporters of the Palestinian cause, it 
is a slogan calling for future Palestinian statehood and Palestinian 
dignity. I agree with those goals, and that is why I support a two-
state solution.
  To others, particularly to Israelis and Jews in the diaspora, the 
phrase is a threat, symbolizing the destruction of the Jewish people 
and the Jewish State of Israel, and I acutely understand that concern 
as well.
  However, a basic truth is evident. If you consider the geographic 
area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea to be 
exclusively Palestine, you are taking the Jewish State of Israel off 
the map.
  As clearly demonstrated by pro-Palestinian protesters following the 
horrific events of October 7, far too many people who boldly chant this 
phrase do not want Israel to exist. I know this because when asked, 
that is how they answer.
  As someone steeped in America's civil rights movement, I clearly 
understand the First Amendment and the right of free speech. I support 
peaceful protest. I support what my dear friend and former colleague 
John Lewis taught us about good trouble. It is okay for supporters of 
the Palestinian cause or the Israeli cause to cause some good trouble.
  When good trouble turns into calls for violence or, in this case, 
wiping the State of Israel off the map, the rhetoric has gone too far. 
It becomes dangerous, and it can cause people harm. That is why I 
support this nonbinding resolution critical of that phrase.
  Let me be clear: There is absolutely nothing anti-Semitic about 
advocating for an independent Palestinian state. However, calling for 
the elimination of the Jewish state, praising Hamas who strives for 
Israel's destruction, or suggesting that the Jews alone do not have the 
right to self-determination is anti-Semitic.
  I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution, which will result in 
the area between the river and the sea being the home to a Jewish State 
of Israel and an independent and prosperous Palestine. That is what we 
should be chanting for and what I will never give up hope for, a 
peaceful Middle East, two states side by side.
  When I talked to some citizens of Israel right after intifada, all 
they said is they wanted to live in peace with their neighbors.
  When I talked to some young Palestinians in the West Bank, all they 
said they wanted was to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors.
  That is what we should be striving for.
  While I am not really happy that we have to consider this resolution 
that I do believe, unfortunately, was brought here by my colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle in an attempt to divide this House, I also 
know the danger of the phrase in question. That is why the resolution 
actually has my begrudging support.
  In this institution, at times you have got to do what you think is 
the best thing to do, the right thing to do, and that is why I support 
this resolution, and I encourage my colleagues to join in doing the 
same.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito), chairman 
of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and 
Technology and the author of this resolution.
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 
883. I rise today, as well, to thank House Republican leadership for 
bringing my resolution to a vote as part of their swift and necessary 
response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel. My resolution 
condemns the slogan ``from the river to the sea, Palestine will be 
free'' because it is blatantly anti-Semitic.
  Madam Speaker, it is no coincidence that this slogan has been 
embraced by not only the violent, barbaric leaders of Hamas, but also 
countless other terrorist organizations and adversarial nations like 
Iran. I remind my colleagues that this slogan was used by Iranian 
leaders responsible for the recent attacks on Israel. It is also no 
coincidence that this phrase has roots in Hamas' charter, a document 
which explicitly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel, the 
ancestral homeland of the Jewish people.
  When anti-Semitic activists, masquerading as merely pro-Palestinian, 
spray-painted this slogan on the site of the 1972 Munich massacre of 
Israeli Olympians, we know and they know exactly what they are 
communicating. This slogan communicates one thing and one thing only. 
It is not human rights. It is certainly not peace. It is the violent 
destruction of the State of Israel and the Jewish people that live 
within it.
  Madam Speaker, at a time in history when anti-Semitic attacks have 
surged nearly 400 percent following Hamas' brutal, unprovoked October 7 
attack on Israel, we need this resolution now more than ever. When 
Jewish students throughout this Nation and in my home State of New York 
at universities like Columbia and Cooper Union speak up about the anti-
Semitism they are facing, they cite phrases and slogans just like 
these. Too often, events that may have started as peaceful protests 
quickly cross the line and turn into anti-Semitic, anti-Jew rallies. 
Perhaps the most common denominator in these instances is the presence 
of this slogan. It is not simply a slogan; it is a threat. It is a 
threat to Israel. It is a threat to the Jewish people. It does not get 
us any closer to peace. It gets us further from it. To employ this 
slogan is to perpetuate the cause of hate and regional instability.
  I remind my colleagues that the Anti-Defamation League regards the 
slogan as anti-Semitic and a cry for Israel to not exist. The ADL 
informs us that to use this slogan is to call for ``effectively erasing 
and destroying the entire Jewish state.'' I remind my colleagues that 
between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea sits America's 
strongest ally, the Middle East's only democracy, and the ancestral 
homeland of the Jewish people.
  As the Representative of the most Jewish communities in this country, 
it is very clear that we need to act. Between the Jordan River and the 
Mediterranean Sea sits Israel, a free, diverse nation, a safe haven for 
Jewish people formed in the wake of the mass murder of European Jews.
  When the world witnessed the tragedies of the Holocaust, we said: 
``Never again.'' Now is our chance to mean it and to reject anti-
Semitic hate in all of its forms whenever and wherever it rears its 
ugly head.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time for the purpose of closing.

[[Page H2432]]

  

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stated during this debate, I am a strong supporter 
of a two-state solution, which will result in the area between the 
river and the sea being the home to a Jewish State of Israel and an 
independent and prosperous Palestine.
  This is what we should all be chanting for. This is what we should 
all be hoping for. This should be what we all are working for. It is in 
the best interests of the Palestinian people, the Jewish State of 
Israel, and the United States of America. Let's end hate. Let's end 
anti-Semitism. Let's bring people together. That should be what we are 
all looking for. Let's not put forth things that hurt and divide.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 
883, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time to close.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do everything in our power to condemn anti-
Semitic speech and actions at home and around the world.
  It is so sad that since October 7 instead of rallying around our 
Jewish friends, we have seen a disgusting rise in anti-Semitic attacks. 
We cannot allow hate speech to be normalized as so well and eloquently 
stated by Ranking Member  Greg Meeks.
  This resolution, so thoughtfully and capably introduced by 
Congressman Anthony D'Esposito, makes clear that this language is not 
normal. Calling for the destruction of the people of Israel is not 
normal. It is not acceptable, and today this House will reject this 
language.
  I am grateful for the leadership that we see today of Foreign Affairs 
Chairman   Michael McCaul and Ranking Member  Greg Meeks. We have clear 
bipartisanship, working together for the safety of American families.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 883.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________