A session regarding the Israel-Hamas war was held in the House of Representatives.
Stephan van Baarle, parliamentary group leader and member of parliament for the DENK party, was warned by Speaker of the House Vera Bergkamp after using the phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" during his speech at the session.
Bergkamp stated, “You know that the last sentence has a specific connotation, don't you? I do not want to hear that last sentence in this chamber again. I had warned you about this.”
''I AM AGAINST ANTISEMITISM''
Expressing his discomfort with the situation, van Baarle said, “The demands of Palestinians for freedom and equality are immediately categorized as antisemitism or another form of hatred. I am against antisemitism.”
''I WILL NOT RETRACT MY WORDS''
Objecting to his words being evaluated as an element of hate, van Baarle stated, “I will not retract my words! I am defending the rights of Palestinians and I will do so in the way I choose. We choose the tone in which we speak ourselves.”
''THE NAME OF THIS STATE IS PALESTINE''
Pointing out that many people in society are also uncomfortable with the fact that when the rights of Palestinians are defended in Parliament, it is twisted in a different direction, van Baarle noted the following:
“With the phrase 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' I am talking about the right of Palestinians to live in this region without their land being illegally annexed, in equality and freedom, without living under an Apartheid regime and without being subjected to discrimination. The 75-year oppression applied to Palestinians must end. We are in favor of a single state where everyone has equal rights. Whether you are Jewish or Muslim, the name of this state is Palestine.”
News Source: AA
