Microblog Memes

I didn't know, so I looked it up. Apparently, the interpretation is debated:

In the 1960s, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) used it to call for what they saw as a "decolonized" state encompassing the entirety of Mandatory Palestine. By 1969, after several revisions, the PLO used the phrase to call for one-state solution, that would mean "one democratic secular state that would supersede the ethno-religious state of Israel".

Many pro-Palestinian activists consider it "a call for peace and equality" after decades of military rule over Palestinians, while for many Jews it is seen as a call for the destruction of Israel. Hamas used the phrase in its 2017 charter. Usage of the phrase by such Palestinian militant groups has led critics to say that it advocates for the dismantling of Israel, and the removal or extermination of its Jewish population.

It's pretty clear that once a symbol has been successfully co-opted, and that original meanings have not been vigorously defended, the best option is to cede the use and find a different slogan. That term, originally secular and peaceful, has been co-opted, and even if Pro-Palestine, non-antisemitic groups would like it to adhere to the original meaning, the cause is lost and they can only harm their cause by continuing to use it.

The Swastika may be the best example of this. You can only carefully use it, despite the origins having nothing to do with Nazis, and it being an important symbol to many religions around the world. The Nazis fucked up the symbol for everyone and railing against that and insisting on using it only causes trouble.

I agree with you: it seems that, despite the benign origins of the phrase, it's been successfully co-opted by extremists and is now only divisive.

TIL