Dozens of protesters fill the entrance to the Saskatchewan Legislature calling for a ceasefire and disrupting the legislature, in Regina, in a still frame taken from video made on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeremy Simes

By The Canadian Press

Saskatchewan MLA apologizes for liking post with ‘from the river to the sea’ slogan

Nov 28, 2023 | 8:15 AM

A Saskatchewan NDP legislature member has apologized for liking a social media post that some view as antisemitic.

Jennifer Bowes says she never intended to cause anyone any pain when she liked a post on Instagram that contained a video where people chanted “from the river to the sea.”

It’s been a popular refrain among pro-Palestinian protesters raising concerns about the Israel-Hamas war.

The phrase is an abbreviation of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Protesters say the slogan is used to highlight the lack of freedoms Palestinians have in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

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Some Israel advocacy organizations say the chant could be viewed as promoting ethnic cleansing of Jewish people.

Pro-Palestinian groups say the slogan is not threatening.

Bowes says she is to continue to reach out to both Muslim and Jewish communities in an effort to foster mutual respect.

Last week, the Saskatchewan legislature was temporarily halted when protesters shouted from the public galleries and called for a ceasefire.