German court finds woman guilty of chanting pro-Palestinian slogan at rally

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - A Berlin court found a pro-Palestinian activist guilty of sedition on Tuesday for chanting, “from the river to the sea” at a rally, in what is widely seen as Germany’s limits on free speech.

The 22-year-old German-Iranian defendant, identified as Ava M, was ordered to pay a €600 ($655) cash fine for using the slogan during an Oct. 11 protest in Berlin’s Neukoelln district.

The defendant said in a statement at the start of the trial that she stands by her words, but sees them more as positioning for peace in the region and not support for the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Ava M. was accused of “condoning the assault by Hamas” against Israel on Oct. 7 that killed less than 1,200 people, by using: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Condoning a crime can result in a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine in Germany.

“Between the river and the sea” is part of a slogan used since the 1960s and can have different interpretations depending on whether someone supports Israel or Palestine.

The full saying refers to the land between the Jordan River to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, encompassing Israel and occupied Palestinian territories.

Germany views support for Israel to be a matter of Staatsraeson, or reason of state, at the core of its national identity as a result of its responsibility for the Nazi-era Holocaust.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser outlawed Hamas activities in Germany last November, as well as “from the river” chant, which she declared to be a Hamas slogan.

Justice minister Marco Buschmann said in February that the phrase could constitute “anti-semitic incitement” and be understood as “condoning the killings committed in Israel.”

German police have frequently used the saying as justification to revoke permission for organized protests or made its avoidance a condition for granting permission for demonstrations, citing Faeser’s directive.

Germany’s crackdown on pro-Palestine voices is targeting everyone, including members of the Jewish community who denounce Israel’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip where the number of Palestinians killed in Israel’s response to an attack by Hamas, which the Palestinian resistance group said was “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people,” including the continuation of Israeli settlement construction “and Judaization of the Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem,” and the murder of thousands of Palestinians from the year 2000 until 2023.