Democrats join GOP in censuring Rashida Tlaib over Israel-Palestine comments
The House of Representatives voted to censure Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for her remarks about Israel and Palestine on Tuesday evening, with some Democrats joining with Republicans.
The censure resolution formally criticised Ms Tlaib for her comments after the 7 October attack on Israel wherein Hamas militants killed 1,400 people in Israel and took at least 230 hostages.
Ms Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress in 2019 and the House’s sole Palestinian-American member of Congress, has come under fire for saying that Israel was behind the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital when US and Israeli intelligence said that a misfired Hamas rocket caused the destruction of the hospital.
In addition, many Democrats in her home state of Michigan, a state with a large Arab-American population, criticised her for using slogan “from the River to the Sea.” Ms Tlaib, along with many supporters of Palestinian rights, say the slogan “is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”
Ahead of the censure vote, Ms Tlaib defended herself from accusations of antisemitism.
“I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” she said. Ms Tlaib criticised the fact that more people were focused on her remarks than military attacks in Gaza. “The idea that criticising the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s being used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”
Ms Tlaib also criticised President Joe Biden for disputing the death toll in Gaza.
“I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable,” she said, as she choked up. “We are human beings just like anyone else.”
But some supporters of Israel have said the slogan call for the destruction of Israel.
“I would hardly define that as aspirational,” Rep Mike Lawler (R-NY) said in a floor speech, saying Ms Tlaib has “parroted the talking points and the message of Hamas.” The censure legislation also criticised Ms Tlaib for calling Israel an “apartheid state.”
“If you want Palestinians to be free, reject Hamas, reject the Palestinian authority, demand Hamas surrender,” Mr Lawler said to Ms Tlaib.
Along with 212 Republicans, 22 Democrats–including many Jewish-American Democrats and as well as Democrats from swing districts–joined the resolution censuring her. Only four Republicans–Reps Ken Buck (R-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Tom McClintock (R-CA) and John Duarte (R-CA)–opposed the resolution. Four members–Reps Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Susan Wild (D-PA) and David Joyce (R-OH)–voted “present.”
Rep Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), criticised Democrats who voted to censure a member of their own party.
“It is outrageous,” she told CNN’s Manu Raju. “I am embarrassed for those Democrats who voted to censure their own colleague, who voted against free speech. It is an embarrassment.”
But Rep Ritchie Torres (D-NY), an ardent supporter of Israel who voted for the censure resolution, defended his decision.
“Calling for the end of Israel as a Jewish State, through the insidious phrase ‘from the river to the sea,’ crosses a line of hate speech that no public official should ever cross,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Congress has a right to take a principled stand against hate speech calling for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish nation-state.”
