Kamlager-Dove Statement on H. Res. 883

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) released the following statement after her "no" vote on House Resolution 883: 

“While I recognize that ‘From the River to the Sea’ is, understandably, viewed as a hurtful phrase by many in the Jewish community, I voted no on this resolution because House Republicans didn’t bring it to the Floor to actually address or condemn antisemitism. Speaker Johnson brought this Republican-introduced resolution to the House Floor to exploit Iran’s attack on Israel to advance the GOP’s long-standing goal of equating antisemitism with criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian self-determination, thus restricting space around legitimate policy discussions. Weaponizing the real concerns of the Jewish community to advance a partisan political agenda is cynical and exploitative, and I will not allow my constituents to become pawns in House Republicans’ political games.

“‘From the River to the Sea’ has a complex history and has been used by malign actors from the PLO and Hamas to Prime Minister Netanyahu and far-right Israeli ministers. When said in the context of denying self-determination to Jews or Palestinians, advocating for the dismantling of the state of Israel, or calling for the displacement or elimination of any people, it is wrong and must be forcefully condemned. While it is regrettable that many advocating for an independent, democratic Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security employ this phrase without understanding the context, condemning these individuals as inherently antisemitic—as this resolution does—is wrong and only sows greater division between communities.”