As of today, the use of the anti-Israel phrase “from the river to the sea” is banned in Germany, due to its association with the terrorist organization Hamas. Any use of this sentence may be considered by Germany as propaganda of an illegal organization and incur heavy penalties
Germany’s Ministry of Justice announced that the sentence “From the river to the sea”, which is often mentioned in pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, is considered a slogan of the terrorist organization Hamas, which has been outlawed in Germany. Because of this, any use of this sentence may be considered propaganda of an illegal organization and incur heavy penalties.
A few months ago, a draft bill against anti-Semitism cases came up in the Bundestag in Germany, according to which a conviction for anti-Semitism would lead to the termination of residence and citizenship of accused immigrants. According to the bill, anti-Semitic offenses may lead to deportation, denial or loss of protection under the Asylum Law. Also, receiving German citizenship may be conditional on a commitment to Israel’s right to exist. People with dual citizenship may lose their German citizenship if they are convicted of anti-Semitic crimes.
It should be noted that, a few days after Hamas launched its attacks on the seventh of October, the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Schulz, was one of the first Western leaders to arrive in Israel. While standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he declared that Germany has “only one place – and it is on Israel’s side.” After the Iranian attack against Israel, the Chancellor of Germany said: “We will have to consider additional sanctions on Iran and take steps against the Revolutionary Guards.”
