Here’s Who Voted Against a House Resolution Denouncing ‘From the River to the Sea’ as Antisemitic

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Chicago, Illinois, on Oct. 11, 2023. Scott Olson/Getty Images

On April 16, 44 members of the House of Representatives voted against a resolution stating that the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic and condemnable.

Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.) introduced the resolution, which passed 377–44, with one member, Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), voting “present.”

The resolution states that the phrase is a call for “the eradication of the State of Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea,” and ”seeks to deny Jewish people the right to self-determination and calls for the removal of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland.”

The resolution comes amid the rise in antisemitism since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel—the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2023, there were almost 9,000 antisemitic incidents—a 140 percent increase from the previous year. There were 5,204 antisemitic incidents—2,718, or 52 percent, of which were related to Israel, Zionism, or Palestine—between Oct. 7 and the end of the year.

In explaining her “present” vote, Ms. Dean said she denounced the phrase but said that the resolution was a political game by the GOP.

“Since the fall, I’ve been firm that ‘From the River to the Sea’ has no place in discussing long-term peace for Israel and Palestine. But Republicans prefer games over bills to support our allies & humanitarian aid. We must be purposeful with our words — and also with our time,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.