The American people have witnessed a deeply disturbing pattern of anti-Semitic rhetoric from members of the House Democrat caucus. At the forefront of controversy is Rep. Rashida Tlaib; Tlaib continues her unwarranted attacks on Israel and maintains alignments with Rep. Ilhan Omar, another Democrat who has come under fire for anti-Semitic statements.
The Backstory
Recently, Tlaib faced a ban from entering the nation of Israel, due to her support for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and concerning statements regarding the Holocaust.
Following this ban, Tlaib issued a written appeal, urging the Israeli government to grant her access into the country for the sake of visiting her grandmother; in her appeal, the congresswoman stated that she would follow any stipulations to enter the country. Israel later granted Tlaib allowance to visit, on the conditions that she would refrain from championing boycotts of Israel during her visit.
After getting the allowance she requested, Tlaib announced that she would not be going to visit her grandmother after all. The congresswoman alleged that Israel’s stipulations were oppressive and racist; on Monday, Tlaib continued her attacks on Israel during a press conference, as documented by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Press Conference
Tlaib’s press conference ultimately consisted of an anecdotal sob story and the demonization of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The congresswoman noted childhood experiences which involved her mother going through “dehumanizing checkpoints” when visiting her family in Palestine.
She then went on to accuse Israel of “humanizing oppression” before lamenting over her previously planned trip to the nation.
In Tlaib’s own words:
“Our delegation trip included meetings with Israeli veterans, who were forced to participate in military occupation. They also desperately want peace and self-determination for their Palestinian neighbors. They could have shed light into injustice of raids, shootings, demolition and child detention.”
The Bottom Line
There are some realities here which Tlaib is attempting to gloss over; she had her chance to visit Israel and she turned it down. Going after the Israeli prime minister and government in the way she’s doing is unfortunate. Her rejection of the lifted ban also shows that her written appeal always lacked sincerity.
If Tlaib was truly as committed to making a difference in Israel as she claimed, perhaps halting the anti-Semitic rhetoric would have been a good idea. Israel reserves the right to bar entry to individuals, especially those who support the boycott of their nation. If Tlaib truly believes Israel to be as racist and oppressive as she claims, then she should have no problem with not entering the country.
What do you think about Monday’s press conference hosted by Tlaib and other Democrats? Sound off in the comments section below!
