Political commentator Marc Lamont Hill was ousted Thursday by CNN after making controversial remarks about Israel during a speech at the United Nations for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, according to Al Jazeera.

“Marc Lamont Hill is no longer under contract with CNN,” according to a statement from a spokesperson at the news network.

Hill, a professor at Temple University, called for “a single secular democratic state for everyone” and a “free Palestine from the river to the sea,” on Wednesday.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) objected to Hill’s statement, noting that “river to the sea” is a catchphrase of the militant group Hamas and refers to extending Palestine’s borders from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The ADL and many other groups said the remark advocated for the destruction of the Jewish state.

Sharon Nazarian, the ADL’s senior vice president for international affairs, told the Jewish Journal, “Those calling for ‘from the river to the sea’ are calling for an end to the State of Israel.”

Amid the backlash, Hill clarified that he did not support anti-Semitism but defended his statement on social media. “I normally would ignore the current drama, but it’s actually important to me that I’m clear and understood. As a matter of principle,” Hill tweeted.

He continued, “I support Palestinian freedom. … I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people, or any of the other things attributed to my speech.”

On using “river to the sea,” he stood firm, declaring, “It was a call for justice, both in Israel and in the West Bank/Gaza. The speech very clearly and specifically said those things.”

He concluded, “I genuinely believe in the arguments and principles that I shared in the speech. I also genuinely want peace, freedom, and security for everyone. These are not competing ideals and values.”

Temple University stood by Hill.

“Marc Lamont Hill has been quoted extensively over the last 24 hours. Marc Lamont Hill does not represent Temple University and his views are his own. However, we acknowledge that he has a constitutionally protected right to express his opinion as a private citizen,” a university spokesperson told Fox News.

CNN has yet to comment on why Hill was terminated. Many individuals, including politicians, journalists and activists, are speaking against the pundit’s firing.

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