Australian state to ban "from the River to the Sea" slogan claiming hatred

• Queensland has proposed legislation to outlaw phrases like "from the river to the sea" and "globalise the intifada", carrying penalties of up to two years in prison as part of a post-Bondi terror attack crackdown.
• The bill expands bans on symbols to include Hamas, Daesh, and Hezbollah flags and increases penalties for attacking religious services or officiants, while critics argue the move is an overreach that stifles free speech and Palestinian solidarity.

Queensland is seeking to become the first Australian state to propose outlawing the pro-Palestinian slogan "from the river to the sea," alongside "globalise the intifada," under “reforms” announced on Saturday.

The legislation, set to be introduced in parliament this week, aims to prohibit the public display, distribution, publication, or recitation of these phrases if intended to cause menace, harassment, or offence, with penalties reaching up to two years' imprisonment.

This initiative forms part of a broader package addressing what they call is “antisemitism and hate crimes,” reportedly triggered by the Bondi terror attack in December 2025, which claimed 15 lives during a Hanukkah celebration.

The proposed laws extend existing prohibitions on symbols like swastikas to include Nazi emblems, the flags of Hamas and Daesh, and the Hezbollah emblem, increasing maximum penalties from six months to two years in prison.

Additional measures introduce offences for impeding or harassing individuals at religious services, carrying up to three years' imprisonment, while penalties for assaulting religious officiants rise from two to five years, and wilful damage to places of worship could result in seven years' incarceration.

Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington described the phrase "from the river to the sea" as inherently offensive.

The slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" refers to the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, interpreted by critics as a call for ‘Israel's’ elimination.

Proponents, however, maintain it advocates for Palestinians to live as free and equal citizens in their homeland.

Similarly, "globalise the intifada" draws from the Arabic term for uprising, referencing Palestinian resistances against Israeli occupation in 1987 and 2000, though it is viewed by some as inciting violence against Jewish communities.

Pro-Palestinian advocates and civil liberties groups have criticized the ban as an overreach that stifles free speech and unfairly targets solidarity with Palestinians, particularly given the lack of evidence linking the slogans to the Bondi perpetrators.

They argue the phrases represent non-violent calls for justice and self-determination, not hatred, and warn that framing pro-Palestine activism as antisemitic could suppress legitimate protest.

In neighboring New South Wales, a recent inquiry recommended restricting "globalise the intifada" only in cases of incitement, without banning "from the river to the sea."

If passed, these laws could set a precedent for other Australian states.