Israel's removal from the map is demanded by a slogan at a UN peace exhibit: 'Disgraceful'

The Global Peace Flag exhibit at the United Nations New York City headquarters has a slogan that many Israelis interpret as an invitation to erase Israel from existence.

The image depicts a map of Israel that resembles a watermelon, devoid of any separation between the West Bank and Gaza. In the upper right-hand corner, the Palestinian flag is visible.

The phrase "From the River to the Sea" is on the left side of the map, while "Will be Free" is on the right side, referencing the well-known phrase "From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free."

Those who back Palestinians argue that the phrase is simply a rallying cry for their fight against Israel, which they view as an oppressive occupation.

Israelis interpret the phrase as an implicit invitation to genocide, urging the complete eradication of Israel from existence.

Since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of hundreds more, the phrase has experienced a renewed popularity.

College campuses saw widespread protests in the spring, with the phrase being commonly used.

Approximately 100 hostages are believed to be held captive in Gaza as of November 4, 2023.

The UN's Global Peace Flag exhibit does not contain any explicit call for the release of hostages, nor does it condemn Hamas or Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Northern Israel in support of Hamas for over a year.

The UN is currently showcasing an appalling display that includes art that clearly advocates for the destruction of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, according to Jonathan Harounoff, Israel's international spokesperson at the UN.

Israel's permanent representative to the UN, Danny Danon, condemned the display as a "disgrace" and a "shameful" act and urged the UN to remove it.

"Danon stated in a video on X that the drawings of children from various countries showcase nothing about Israel or the hostages, but rather highlight the children's creativity. However, he criticized the drawings for promoting hate and being a part of the United Nations' hypocrisy towards Israel. He demanded that the UN remove the exhibit and stop the hypocrisy against Israel."

The "Peace Flags" exhibit was created by a fashion designer who encouraged individuals to send messages of peace on fabric scraps as a way to transform fashion waste into a positive impact.

The SDG Action Campaign was informed by UN staff during installation that several panels, including the one titled "From the River to the Sea," could not be displayed.

"The spokesperson stated that the panels in the quilts were covered with square cloth in accordance with the organizer's instructions in the second week of October. However, earlier last week, someone removed the covers. Our colleagues had covered it twice last week and were planning to do the same today when they learned that it had been uncovered again. The spokesperson added that they had alerted UN Security to the continued unauthorized interference in the exhibit and requested them to review security footage to identify the perpetrator."