You write a moving, insightful, and thoughtful piece. It almost all makes sense. The part which doesn't: doesn't the above cut both ways?

Why are the protestors, after being told over and over--if they'd listen--that "from the river to the sea" was originally and still is widely interpreted as a statement of ethnic cleansing and xenophobia at best, and genocide at worst, still using the same phrase?

If this were October 10, okay, maybe there wasn't time to get the message through. It's been six months, though. Why shouldn't we interpret this not as an innocent call to peace but rather a willful manipulation of protestors by those who wish Israel destroyed?

Why don't the faculty members, who really really ought to know better, point out that "from the river to the sea" is likely to be interpreted as a call for struggle and victory not as "let's all have peace!", and advise the students to pick another phrase if they mean "let's all have peace!"

These same students presumably, for the most part, understand right-wing dog-whistling. Why are they puffing SO hard into the "river to the sea" whistle?

I've asked people about this on Medium and gotten replies like, "If you had approached those students, they would’ve told you that no amount of placating imperialist powers will make them believe colonized people are human, and affirming that colonized people are dying for their resistance is continuing their fight." That is: peace is impossible, and the goal must be victory over Israel.

So I completely support the statement that we should not misconstrue things to exacerbate hatred, animosity, division, and violence. Quite right!

But this is a sorry excuse for students who use a phrase that, as you have documented, has been used to call for animosity and violence.

Maybe we should all unite under the confederate flag, a statue of General Lee, and a big sign saying "Legacy of the South", in order to support equality for all.

Or maybe, if people are by their words and actions demonstrating that they really do intend to support equality for all, not glorify slavery and insurrection in support thereof, we can ask them to please use different symbolism, and if they are honest in their intent, they will agree.

If people aren't willing to change their signs, after months of being told why it's offensive and frightening, it does start to strain credulity that they're actually quite as supportive of justice and equity as they want others to believe. Rather, it looks like they believe the world to be a grand battle between good and evil, where seeking justice is trivial and equity means the good guys win and the bad guys lose.