London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has sparked outrage by insisting the pro-Palestine slogan “From the river to the sea” is not inherently anti-Semitic, insisting its meaning hinges on “context”. The Labour politician’s remarks, delivered during a heated Mayor’s Question Time at City Hall on Thursday, came amid simmering tensions over London’s ongoing pro-Palestinian protests.
They follow a deadly terror attack on a Manchester synagogue last week, during which demonstrators took to the streets chanting the controversial phrase. Conservative City Hall leader Susan Hall confronted Sir Sadiq directly, demanding: “Do you think to scream ‘From the river to the sea’, which they’re doing during these hate marches, is appropriate? Do you think it is antisemitic?” Sir Sadiq shot back: “I don’t think it is antisemitic and I think it’s all about context. Some slogans can be antisemitic, but it’s all about context. And in certain contexts, yes, those slogans are antisemitic. In other contexts, they’re not.”
The phrase, often completed as “Palestine will be free”, refers to the territory spanning the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea – encompassing all of Israel. Critics, including Jewish groups and politicians, decry it as a veiled call to eradicate the Jewish state. Supporters counter that it champions Palestinian rights in Gaza and the West Bank, demanding equality rather than annihilation.
Sir Sadiq’s stance drew immediate fire from Tory heavyweights. Shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly branded the chant “patently absurd” to defend, accusing Sir Sadiq of failing London’s Jewish community amid “regular hate marches”. He added: “It calls for wiping the world’s only Jewish state from the map.”
Former Labour minister Lord Austin, a vocal anti-Semitism campaigner, went further, labelling Sir Sadiq a “total disgrace”. He said: “This chant calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of millions of its Jewish citizens.” Lord Austin further linked it to other protest cries like “globalise the Intifada”, which he called incitement to kill Jews in Britain.
He added: “It’s deeply disturbing that the mayor is siding with these racists and bigots – especially after last week’s murders in Manchester.”
The Manchester assault struck on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, leaving one dead and several injured. That same evening, protests erupted nationwide against Israel’s Gaza operations, including in Whitehall and at Liverpool Street station in London. Ms Hall alleged demonstrators “screamed chants at passing commuters”, branding Israel a “terror state”.
Pressed on their suitability post-attack, Sir Sadiq conceded: “No, I don’t think it was.” But when Ms Hall queried if the behaviour was antisemitic, he demurred: “You’re asking a general question about individuals’ behaviour – I think it [their behaviour] is insensitive.”
Pushed harder on the slogan, Sir Sadiq stood his ground, saying: “No, I don’t think marching is antisemitic.” Hall retorted: “We all hear ‘From the river to the sea’ and we know what that means, and that is anti-Semitic.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had already condemned the protests as “un-British” and unfit to proceed after the synagogue outrage.
A City Hall spokesman clarified Sir Sadiq’s position: “The mayor was saying that it’s not antisemitic to attend pro-Palestine protests.”
He acknowledged the slogan’s dual interpretations – some see it as genocidal, others as a plea for freedom – but stressed Sir Sadiq’s long-standing calls for peaceful, lawful demonstrations.
The spokesman added: “At a time of heightened fear for Jewish people, he has repeatedly said people should be mindful of their words and how they impact other Londoners – and not use chants that make Jewish Londoners scared.”
The row, reported by The Telegraph, underscores deepening divides over free speech and hate speech in Britain’s streets, with Jewish leaders voicing alarm at rising insecurity.