Dr Norman Finkelstein’s Message to Columbia University Protesters on April 19.

A few weeks ago Norman Finkelstein said “from the river to sea, Palestine will be free” can have different meanings and interpretations.

Zionists use similar words too, where they mean all of historic Palestine should be sovereign Israel without a sovereign Palestine.

And Zionists take full advantage of that by saying “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” means the eradication of Israel when pro-Palestinians say it.

I think the slogan comes with considerable baggage.

Too many people, especially the neutrals who need convincing to be pro-Palestinian, or those with little to no understanding of the history of Palestine, will not be convinced.

Or they will question the slogan’s interpretations.

And that is a distraction away from the central meaning and purpose of the slogan.

Which is to bring to attention the oppression, subjugation and illegal occupation within the historic borders of Palestine that the Palestinians have been facing for 75 years, at the hands of Zionism.

Distractions in campaign situations is never a good thing.

That is why the most successful political slogans are unambiguous.

Whether it is Trump’s “make America great again” – or the UK Conservative parties slogan leading up to the 2019 election where Brexit was the hot topic, they came up with “get Brexit done”.

Finkelstein suggested: “from the river to the sea, Palestinians will be free” – I think this is linguistically tighter.

It really doesn’t leave room for Zionist talking points.

Or room for other Zionist interpretations that would seem plausible to people sitting on the fence, to people who are currently not actively supporting Palestinian liberation.

I think it would encourage people asking questions that favours the Palestinian perspective.