Germany’s federal court to rule on ‘river to the sea’ slogan

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice is to decide whether the controversial pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be considered a symbol of a terrorist organization.

A Berlin court last week found a woman guilty of using a symbol of a terrorist organization after she had posted the phrase on her publicly accessibly Instagram profile, and imposed a fine of €1,300 ($1,370).

The 42-year-old Iranian citizen has now lodged an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, according to a spokeswoman for the court on Thursday.

The presiding judge in the Berlin case, Susann Wettley, said the slogan is a symbol of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group, which the European Union classifies as a terrorist organization.

The slogan calls for a free Palestine stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, an area where the state of Israel is located.

Many activists say the phrase is a rallying cry for peace and equality for Palestinians. Others argue it is anti-Semitic and a call for Israel’s destruction.

Germany courts have so far assessed the slogan differently.

The Berlin ruling was the first time the slogan has been assessed as a symbol of a terrorist organization, prosecutor Tim Kaufmann said.

Wettley said that especially after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year, the German public came to associate the slogan with the group.

She said the defendant had spread the phrase knowing that Hamas was classified as a terrorist organization, adding that the group had embraced the ruling.

German law enforcement have sought to crack down on the use of the phrase.

In August, a court in Berlin fined a protester €600 ($630) for chanting the slogan at a pro-Palestinian rally there.

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice is to decide whether the controversial pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be considered a symbol of a terrorist organization.

A Berlin court last week found a woman guilty of using a symbol of a terrorist organization after she had posted the phrase on her publicly accessibly Instagram profile, and imposed a fine of €1,300 ($1,370).

The 42-year-old Iranian citizen has now lodged an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, according to a spokeswoman for the court on Thursday.

The presiding judge in the Berlin case, Susann Wettley, said the slogan is a symbol of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group, which the European Union classifies as a terrorist organization.

The slogan calls for a free Palestine stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, an area where the state of Israel is located.

Many activists say the phrase is a rallying cry for peace and equality for Palestinians. Others argue it is anti-Semitic and a call for Israel’s destruction.

Germany courts have so far assessed the slogan differently.

The Berlin ruling was the first time the slogan has been assessed as a symbol of a terrorist organization, prosecutor Tim Kaufmann said.

Wettley said that especially after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year, the German public came to associate the slogan with the group.

She said the defendant had spread the phrase knowing that Hamas was classified as a terrorist organization, adding that the group had embraced the ruling.

German law enforcement have sought to crack down on the use of the phrase.

In August, a court in Berlin fined a protester €600 ($630) for chanting the slogan at a pro-Palestinian rally there.