Individuals who posted ‘From the River to the Sea’ on social media will be denied German citizenship, according to stipulations in the new citizenship law, as cited by German channel NDR (North German Radio and Television) and the Federal Interior Ministry.
People who are employed in Germany can work to obtain citizenship after five years, compared to the eight years previously required in the law. While the law came to pass on June 27 of this year, the requirements have been tightened, especially regarding “Racism, antisemitism or any other form of misanthropy rule out naturalization,” according to the German Federal Ministry of the Interior.
One of the requirements for citizenship, clause 10.1.1.1.3.1, concerns “Germany’s special historical responsibility for the National Socialist injustice and its consequences, especially for the protection of Jewish life.”
This clause stipulated that an individual who contravenes Germany’s legal commitment to the protection of Jews may not be eligible for citizenship.
This clause included denial of the fact or extent of the genocide of the Jews of Europe by Nazi Germany (the Holocaust) and accusing Jews or the State of Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
It also included the following statements, “From the River to the Sea,” possibly with the addition “Palestine will be free,” “Let’s go bomb Tel Aviv,” “Death to Israel,” and “Israel, child murderer.”
The use of maps in which the territory of the State of Israel is replaced with the colors of the Palestinian flag was also considered in contravention of the law.
The above can be considered grounds for exclusion from citizenship, as, according to NDR, people are considered incompatible with a commitment to the German constitution if they violate Germany’s special historical responsibility towards Jewish life.
This stipulation includes liking, sharing, or commenting on such slogans on social networks.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior said that, when such slogans are uttered, the context in which they are said should be taken into account. For example, if “statements such as ‘From the River to the Sea’ coincide with an explicit call for violent actions against the State of Israel,” this should be questioned in a citizenship interview.