The House of Representatives has formally reprimanded Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel and expressing her tacit support for the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, which has drawn a fierce response from the Israeli Defense Forces.
The vote to censure Tlaib was 234 to 188; four Republicans voted against it and 22 Democrats voted in favor of the resolution, which has no effect other than shaming the radical representative from Michigan.
Rep. Mary Peltola, who votes with Tlaib nearly 80% of the time in Congress, voted against the censure of her political ally.
Tlaib has been criticized for supporting the use of the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which is chanted by Hamas terrorist supporters and those intent on wiping out Jews from the Holy Land. It is likened to phrases repeated by Nazis, such as Adolf Hitler’s genocidal phrase, “Final Solution to the Jewish Question,” a phrase that sounds innocuous but is loaded with meaning.
The Anti-Defamation League says “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is clearly an antisemitic slogan and rallying cry (that) has long been used by anti-Israel voices, including supporters of terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
Tlaib has defended the phrase: “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”
Tlaib is the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress, and stood outside the Capitol in October, while pro-Hamas protesters occupied the Cannon Office Building for hours.
The censure was introduced by Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick, had moved to a floor vote after Peltola’s Democrat colleagues tried to block the measure by tabling it. Peltola voted in favor of tabling it.
A similar measure failed last week, but McCormick’s resolution was worded more carefully.
Peltola also voted against the aid package for Israel that passed the House last week.
