[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.
____________________