Since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 sparked the Israel-Gaza conflict, the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, has mobilised and antagonised.
Two weeks ago, the Australian Senate voted 56 to 12 to condemn the phrase. The motion was proposed by Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, who said it “opposes Israel’s right to exist and is frequently used by those who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians via acts of antisemitism”. The day before, Labor senator Fatima Payman had used the phrase after accusing Israel of genocide.
Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writerEmma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles. Connect with Emma on Twitter. Email Emma at emma.connors@nine.com.au
