[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 69 (Friday, April 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E375-E376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE SLOGAN, 
 ``FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE'' IS ANTISEMITIC 
                     AND ITS USE MUST BE CONDEMNED

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. VAL T. HOYLE

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 2024

  Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I will vote in support of H. Res. 
883, a non-binding resolution that condemns the use of a slogan that 
has been used by some individuals and groups for antisemitic purposes, 
including as a rallying cry to deny the right to self-determination of 
the Jewish people or even to eliminate the State of Israel from the 
Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
  I believe the antisemitic use of this slogan should rightfully be 
condemned. For example, this slogan has been widely used by terrorist 
entities--including Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and 
Hezbollah--to encourage future attacks on Israel, the Jewish community 
and Jewish institutions. With antisemitism and antisemitic attacks on 
the rise in the U.S. and around the world, we must swiftly condemn 
antisemitism in all its forms.
  However, this resolution should have been written better. For 
example, H. Res. 883, fails to acknowledge that some who use the phrase 
do so to advocate for Palestinian liberation and equality, and others--
including some members of the Jewish community--use the phrase to 
advocate for an end to the Israeli control and annexation of the West 
Bank and Gaza. The resolution should have noted that this slogan is not 
always intended to be used as antisemitic and not all who use the 
phrase are antisemitic.
  As with other resolutions this Congress, H. Res. 883 also fails to 
condemn antisemitic acts from those on the far-right, including white 
nationalists who have increasingly promoted antisemitic conspiracy 
theories and have threatened the lives and livelihoods of Jewish 
Americans.
  H. Res. 883 also treats the slogan ``from the river to the sea'' as 
one-sided. However, this phrase has also been used by right-wing 
Israelis--including by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself in January--to 
deny the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.
  Let me be clear: I believe that both Israelis and Palestinians have a 
right to their own state. That's why I strongly support a two-state 
solution where Israelis and Palestinians recognize each other's right 
to live in peace and have prosperity.
  I also unequivocally condemn all forms of antisemitism, and I am 
appalled by the significant rise in antisemitism we've seen in recent 
years and especially after Hamas's October 7th terrorist attacks on 
Israel. If the House Republican majority were serious about tackling 
antisemitism, they would support President Biden's National Strategy to 
Counter Antisemitism, would quit trying to defund the Office of Civil 
Rights for Title VI enforcement which protects Jewish students, and 
would increase funding for the High-Risk Nonprofit Grant Program to 
secure Jewish institutions as a start. I urge House Republicans to 
prioritize real action to combat hate, rather than continue to waste 
time and resources on non-binding resolutions.
  That's why I've cosponsored legislation that thoughtfully and 
powerfully condemns the rise of antisemitism in the United States and 
calls on Congress to support the above substantive actions to tackle 
antisemitism, which congressional Republicans have so far refused to 
do.

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