‘Which river, which sea?’: Protest leader confused by anti-Israel catch cry

The organiser behind the Students for Palestine group involved in the violent anti-Israel protests in Melbourne says it’s “irrelevant” that she doesn’t know which sea the controversial catchcry is referring to.

Renee Nayef (right) made the embarrassing slip-up on air. Picture: Instagram

A leader of the Students for Palestine group has blamed tiredness for naming the wrong sea in the controversial anti-Israel mantra.

In an embarrassing interview on 3AW, Deakin University student Renee Nayef was asked if she and fellow protesters had been chanting “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” catchcry during this morning’s violent rally.

Proudly declaring that they had, Ms Nayef was then asked which river and which she thought the chant referred to.

She quickly answered: “the Jordan River and the Red Sea”.

3AW presenter Tom Elliott then corrected Ms Nayef, stating the pro-Palestine slogan called for freedom from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

The phrase “from the river to the sea” refers to the geographic area between the Jordan River in the east and the Mediterranean Sea in the west, which today includes Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza.

The Red Sea is south of Israel.

Hours later, Ms Nayef insisted to the Herald Sun that she did know what the slogan meant, blaming the slip-up on tiredness, saying she’d been awake since 4am.

“I’m not here to give Tom Elliott a geography lesson,” she said.

“I think it’s totally irrelevant to the reason that we’re out here protesting today.

“We’re here protesting against the genocide and specifically against all these despicable companies and the Victorian government.”

Renee Nayef (left) at the anti-war, anti-Israel protest on Wednesday. Picture: Instagram

The tertiary student is part of Students for Palestine – one of 50 advocate groups engaging in protest action and causing chaos across Melbourne this week.

It’s also the same group that played a fundamental role in the university encampments at Victoria’s leading tertiary institutions this year.

Ms Nayef, who has spoken at a number of rallies across Melbourne in the past, has long advocated for a “free Palestine”.

Renee Nayef with controversial senator Lidia Thorpe. Picture: Instagram

Ms Nayef also incited fury from listeners after claiming on the radio show that the October 7 massacre was “irrelevant”, when asked what led to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.

She also claimed the violence at Wednesday’s protests was “one-sided”.

“The only violence that I’ve seen has been from the police inflicted onto us,” she said.

“The violence that’s happened here today is nothing compared to the violence that’s been inflicted upon the Palestinians right now by companies who are here attending this conference.”

Ms Nayef was previously suspended from Deakin University allegedly for her involvement in the pro-Palestine encampment.

However that suspension has since been lifted after she won her appeal.