Etsy’s move to block listings that feature the phrase “from the river to the sea” is unacceptable, and here’s why:

The phrase is not anti-Semitic; it is a phrase intrinsically connected with wanting a liberated Palestine. For more history into the background of this phrase, check out this article by Al Jazeera here.

Censorship is generally unnecessary. While we acknowledge that there are indeed limits to our right to personal expression and “free speech” as protected by the First Amendment, these restrictions are notably designed to come into play in select circumstances, like when one’s speech is threatening. On the contrary, this phrase does not threaten anyone’s safety or existence. Furthermore, those who feel uncomfortable with this phrase have the right to feel as they’d like; however, because this phrase is specifically not a threat to any peoples, there are not sufficient grounds for banning it. There are, of course, other usages of speech that are non-threatening but uncomfortable for others; but, they are still permitted: why should this case be any different?

If Etsy is going to take action to censor listings, why are listings that are explicitly hate speech being ignored? For example, you can look up “I’m a N*zi” or “I hate women” on Etsy — how can this justifiably be allowed while “from the river to the sea,” a phrase attached to a decades-long political struggle against a corrupt government, is censored? 

In summary, we demand that the phrase “from the river to the sea” is unblocked by Etsy.