Chicago alderperson under scrutiny after using pro-Palestinian phrase 'from the river to the sea' on X

CHICAGO - A Chicago alderwoman in a leadership position repeated the phrase "From the River to the sea, Palestine will be free," on social media Thursday morning.

Chicago Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, chairwoman of the city council's Committee on Health and Human Relations, made the comments on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The phrase "From the river to the sea! Palestine will be free" has been chanted by pro-Palestinian supporters, but has been used more frequently since Hamas terrorists killed 1,400 people during its Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

Most recently, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was censured for her use of the phrase, as many fellow Democrats harshly criticized her.

"This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period. Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that," Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. "Only a return of hostages, eliminating Hamas and liberating Gaza from oppressive terror will save civilian lives and secure the peace, justice and dignity you seek."

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said the phrase is "a call for the end of Israel as a Jewish State."

"That these words appear in the founding charter of Hamas tells you everything you need to know about its meaning," Torres wrote on X.

Rodriguez-Sanchez would later push back on criticism for her use of the phrase.

"Ppl angry abt a slogan that speaks to the liberation of colonized ppl while they watch Israel commit genocide, bomb civilians, leaving ppl of all ages from babies to elderly dismembered is some intense gaslighting. Over 10K killed & many more lost under rubble. Go find your soul," she said in a follow-up X post.

The alderwoman was appointed to her leadership position by Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose office didn't respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Rodriguez-Sanchez's office for comment.