U.S. Congress declares Palestinian slogan 'anti-Semitic' | 17 April 2024 | The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to condemn the chant "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as hate speech. The slogan, which dates to the 1960s, calls for a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Israel has argued that this implicitly denies its right to exist in the same territory. "Our resolution makes it clear that the slogan 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' is antisemitic and calls for the total eradication of the Jewish, democratic state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people," said one of its sponsors, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Congress has the responsibility to "condemn disgusting, divisive, and dehumanizing chants" and fight against "prejudice and hate,” added Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat. The other two sponsors were New York Republican Anthony D'Esposito and Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz. The resolution was adopted by 377 votes in favor to 44 opposed. Only one Republican, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against it citing constitutional grounds. The other 43 nays were from the "progressive" faction of the Democrats. ["There is no such legal category as "hate speech" in the U.S. Not yet at least. But Congress has declared 'from the river to the sea' 'hate speech.' How long before these unconstitutional acts of Congress become law?" --Michael Rectenwald, CLG News Founder and Libertarian Party candidate for president.]