Jewish Americans File Trademarks in Apparent Attempt to Prevent Use Of Pro-Palestine Slogan

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Two Jewish American men reportedly filed separate trademark applications for a pro-Palestinian slogan in an apparent attempt to stop its use.

The slogan, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” has become a hot-button issue in the United States, particularly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Many Palestinians say the phrase is a non-violent call for their liberation; critics of the phrase argue it is anti-Semitic.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) use of the slogan at a rally condemning Israel’s war in Gaza earned her a censure by Congress.

The Palestinian-American congresswoman said the slogan is an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” — still, 22 Democrats and four Republicans voted to censure.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the trademark filings have triggered “a flurry of reactions,” with a prominent legal expert cautioning “that the move might have unintended consequences for both the Jewish community and Israel.”

The Post identified the men as Joel Ackerman and Oron Rosenkrantz.

“It could backfire, and eventually all kinds of people we don’t want to wear hats and shirts with this slogan will buy the goods and use them, and it will spread around the world,” warned Lihi Katzenelson, a partner at Arnon, Tadmor-Levy Law Firm, who specializes in trademarks and intellectual property, according to The Post.

Katzenelson added that the chances of success in obtaining the trademarks are “not that good.”

On Friday, one X user posted a photo of one of the trademark filings and incorrectly claimed the trademark was granted.

https://twitter.com/DrEliDavid/status/1727707064951099895

Under the tweet, X posted “reader context” to explain, “Although the application for trademark is real, the trademark is still ‘Awaiting Examination.’ In other words, not granted or in effect.”