After Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib shared a post on X expressing support for calls for genocide against the state of Israel, fellow Democrats in the state have spoken out against her remarks.
Tlaib, who is Muslim, has been under scrutiny for weeks after promoting Hamas terrorist propaganda following their brutal attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people and the kidnapping of hundreds more.
The controversy surrounding Tlaib began when she shared a video on X featuring an anti-Semitic slogan, stating that “from the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.” Her justification for the post was met with swift backlash from her fellow Democrats.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who has previously defended Tlaib, took to X to express her disappointment with Tlaib’s comments. “@RashidaTlaib, I have supported and defended you countless times, even when you have said the indefensible, because I believed you to be a good person whose heart was in the right place,” she wrote. “But this is so hurtful to so many. Please retract this cruel and hateful remark.”
Michigan Senate President Pro Tem Jeremy Moss, a Democratic senator for District 7, also condemned Tlaib’s words. “This is not how Jews view the phrase ‘from the river to the sea.’ This is not how Hamas views the phrase ‘from the river to the sea,’” he stated. “Hamas uses it as a rallying cry. And they don’t simply want to displace Jews in Israel. They want Jews dead.”
.@RashidaTlaib, I have supported and defended you countless times, even when you have said the indefensible, because I believed you to be a good person whose heart was in the right place.
But this is so hurtful to so many. Please retract this cruel and hateful remark. https://t.co/HBCf8jRgYo
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) November 4, 2023
Moss went on to explain the significance of the phrase to the Jewish community, highlighting its use as a call for the destruction of Israel and the targeting of Jews. He also shared his own family’s experience, with one of his great grandfathers escaping to the United States alone as a teenager and never hearing from his family again after they were likely killed during the Holocaust.
Tlaib’s comments have been met with widespread condemnation and have further damaged her reputation within her own party. As elected officials, it is important for them to use their platform responsibly and be mindful of the impact of their words. As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, it is imperative for leaders to promote peace and understanding rather than fueling hate and inciting violence.