New Hampshire State Representative Maria Perez, a Democrat, apologized for tweeting on October 23, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”
Stop Antisemitism posted a screenshot of the tweet, which has since been deleted, and argued that the slogan is “a call for the removal of the State of Israel.”
NH State Rep. Maria Perez (photo here w/Ilhan Omar) is under fire for her (now deleted) tweet "from the river to the sea", a call for the removal of the State of Israel.
CNN fired Marc Lamont Hill over this exact comment back in November 2018. pic.twitter.com/Bgao8hLkYO
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 1, 2021
Perez initially doubled down on her tweet, arguing on October 29 that she used “a slogan that Palestinian human rights activists use to convey that they desire freedom of movement and an end to settler colonization” and she believes “in a one state solution where Jews, Muslims, Christians and others can live together with equal rights, unlike the current state of Israeli occupation and apartheid.”
Jewish groups criticized her defense.
“Your call for a one-state solution denigrates and denies the existence of a Jewish State of Israel,” Anti-Defamation League New England tweeted. “That is no solution. [Maria Perez]: Reconsider the implications of your choice of language and check your facts.”
Your call for a one-state solution denigrates and denies the existence of a Jewish State of Israel. That is no solution. @mariapz1974: Reconsider the implications of your choice of language and check your facts.https://t.co/5cfODcySqp
— ADL New England (@ADL_NewEngland) October 31, 2021
Jewish Federation of New Hampshire Board Chair Ken Litvack told the New Hampshire (NH) Journal that Perez’s comments were “antisemitic in nature.” “The phrase used here — ‘from the river to the sea’ — has troubling connotations, as it indicates the destruction and erasure of the Jewish state. Whether she intended it that way or not, this is the way the phrase is commonly used, and as a public representative, she needs to be aware of that.” He also suggested that Perez “visit Israel” to see that “the picture is much more complex.”
Stop Antisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez similarly said in a statement to the Journal, “We are extremely disturbed an elected NH official has the audacity to describe the sole democracy in the region as an apartheid state. Israel is a thriving democracy home to nearly 2 million Arab citizens with full rights. Perhaps an in person visit to the area would help educate Ms. Perez on what’s actually happening vs. the propaganda she’s being fed.”
New Hampshire Speaker of the House Sherman Packard, a Republican, urged House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing to address Perez’s comments.
NH Speaker of the House Sherman Packard penned a letter to House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing requesting condemnation of Perez. pic.twitter.com/ngAblkDLeU
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 1, 2021
On November 1, Perez said in a statement that she “unwittingly carried an Antisemitic connotation” in her tweet. “That would never be my intention. I am deeply sorry for any pain my words caused. Through numerous conversations with Jewish colleagues, I have come to learn the derogatory meaning that the phrase can hold for the Jewish community.” The NH Journal reported that she did not want to comment on if she regretted calling Israel an apartheid state. As of this writing, Perez’s Twitter account is currently on a private setting.
This article has been updated.
