German court fines woman for ‘from the river to the sea’ chant

A German court fined a woman $655 (600 euros) for adopting the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” at a rally last year, a decision her lawyer criticized as an attack on free expression.

Alexander Gorski, the 22-year-old woman’s lawyer in Berlin, described Tuesday’s ruling as “a dark day for freedom of expression”.

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“My client only wanted to express her hope for a future of democratic coexistence for all people in the region,” he told AFP, adding that the lady, known only as Ava M, planned to appeal the ruling.

A court spokeswoman said the lady was found guilty of uttering the slogan during a rally in Berlin’s Neukoelln area on October 11, only days after the Gaza conflict began.

The court determined that the expression “could only be understood as a denial of Israel’s right to exist and an endorsement” of Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to the spokeswoman.

According to local sources, Israel has murdered 1,537 Palestinians by October 11, outnumbering the number of Israelis killed in the October 7 incident. Antiwar activists were organizing rallies demanding for a cease-fire at the time.

Israeli supporters believe that the phrase advocates for Israel’s annihilation. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser prohibited the word in November.

According to international rights groups, Israel controls the whole land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, enforcing an apartheid regime on Palestinians.

Furthermore, Israeli officials frequently display a map of the nation that includes the occupied Palestinian territories, implying that Israel stretches from river to sea.

Germany has been a loyal backer of Israel and a major arms supplier.

The Israeli onslaught in Gaza has killed at least 39,653 Palestinians, destroyed huge portions of the territory, and pushed more than two million people to the brink of hunger.

Domestically, Berlin has clamped down on Palestinian rights activity. Earlier this year, the government enacted legislation requiring foreigners seeking German citizenship to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

In April, German police canceled a pro-Palestine meeting in Berlin. Authorities have also often broken up anti-war gatherings in Gaza, assaulting and detaining protestors.

Earlier this year, Germany prohibited British Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah, who operated in Gaza during the early stages of the conflict, from entering the country.