Gemma Knight-Gilani

At Glastonbury yesterday, a band called for “inshallah, from the river to the sea.” The crowd cheered. When I hear that phrase chanted with joy, I feel fear and - whoever you are - so should you. Most people don’t understand what it means. But it’s been used for decades by those who want to erase Jews from where their language, faith & indigenous culture began. A place that was meant to offer refuge when the rest of the world shut its door. I’ve spoken out against injustice & unbearable loss. I’ve made work about the ‘Nakba’ & the ongoing trauma of Palestinians. But “from the river to the sea” doesn’t call for peace. It calls for a world without Jews. You can stand for Palestinian rights without denying Jewish ones. You can oppose a government without wishing away a people. If your activism leaves no room for someone else’s safety, grief or history it’s not activism. It’s hate.