The Mayor of London has suggested that the chant “From the river to the sea” is not antisemitic. In plain English, those seven words describe the entire land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea—the space in which Israel exists. The slogan did not arise in academic debate; it was popularised by movements that reject Israel’s right to exist and has long been used as a call to end Jewish sovereignty. Whatever some marchers may intend when they repeat it on a Saturday in London, Jewish Londoners hear it as a demand to erase their only refuge—and they feel less safe at school gates, outside synagogues and on public transport as a result. Intent does not cancel impact.

We are asking City Hall to pair a robust defence of free expression with basic moral clarity. Leaders need not criminalise speech to set a higher standard than “not illegal.” They can say, plainly, that language with eliminationist roots is harmful, and encourage those who sincerely seek justice for Palestinians to use words that make that aim explicit—rights, safety and dignity for both peoples—rather than slogans that reasonably read as a threat.

What we’re asking for

• A public clarification acknowledging the slogan’s history and how it is heard by Jewish Londoners.

• Guidance from City Hall encouraging protest language that explicitly supports rights and safety for both peoples in the context of the Israeli/Palestiian conflict.

• Clearer standards (shared with the Met and City Hall comms) distinguishing legitimate protest from rhetoric reasonably understood as threatening.

Why this matters

London likes to think of itself as the great civic commonwealth, a place where difference is not merely tolerated but woven into daily life. That boast unravels the moment Jewish families start calculating safer routes to school, tucking badges out of sight on the bus, or hesitating outside synagogues because a slogan has turned the pavement into a test of nerve. A city cannot call itself “for everyone” while asking one community to swallow the chill and smile.

None of this requires new speech crimes or a censor’s blue pencil. It asks for leadership that understands the distinction between what is lawful and what is decent. City Hall can defend the right to protest and, in the same breath, set a higher civic bar than “not illegal”: name the harm, acknowledge how certain phrases are heard, and invite marchers of good will to choose words that point towards coexistence rather than the disappearance of a people. If what we mean is equal rights, safety and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike, then let us say so plainly. That clarity lowers the temperature, widens the circle of those who can stand together in good faith, and keeps London true to the promise it makes about itself.

Take action 

1) Email the Mayor 

Email Address: [email protected]

Use the template below—personalise with your own reasons and postcode.

Subject: Please clarify your comments on “From the river to the sea”

Dear Mayor Khan,

I’m writing as a Londoner to express deep concern about your recent remarks suggesting the chant “From the river to the sea” is not antisemitic.

Those words have a widely understood meaning and provenance. Whatever some intend, the impact on Jewish Londoners is fear—at school gates, on public transport, and outside synagogues. Intent does not erase impact.

I respectfully ask you to:

• Acknowledge the slogan’s history and how it is heard by Jewish Londoners;

• Encourage protesters who seek justice for Palestinians to use language that supports rights and safety for both peoples;

• Issue guidance that distinguishes legitimate protest from rhetoric reasonably understood as eliminationist.

I support robust criticism of Israeli policy and the right to protest. I also expect City Hall to set a higher moral bar than “not illegal.” Please help lower the temperature by being clear about language that wounds.

Yours sincerely,

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN HERE 

FAQs

Is this about banning chants?
No. The criminal threshold for speech is rightly high. We’re asking the Mayor to show moral leadership: defend protest while refusing to prettify language commonly used to deny Jewish self-determination.