By Rajika Chauhan
Staff Writer
In a seldom issued measure of rebuke, the U.S. House voted on Nov. 7 to censure Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for her remarks on the ongoing Israel-Palestine war, as per Reuters. The disciplining of Tlaib, the lone Palestinian-American in Congress, comes at a time when fissures are forming amongst both the Democratic Party and American public on the government’s unwavering support of Israel.
Tlaib, who has family in the West Bank, has been outspoken in her criticism of the activities of the Israeli government in the Palestinian territories. She has been a fierce public opponent of Israel’s military occupation in the West Bank and settlement expansion, and is one of the few government officials to back the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions program against the Israeli government. The New York Times (NYT) reports that in August 2019, both Tlaib and her colleague Ilhan Omar, the only two Muslim women in Congress, were banned from entering Israel as a result of their criticisms of the state.
Tlaib has come under particular scrutiny in the past month for her association with the slogan “from the river to the sea,” a popular chant at Palestinian liberation protests. The phrase has been contested by some Jewish and pro-Israel groups as being anti-semitic in its supposed calls for an eradication of the Israeli state. The House’s censure resolution named the slogan as partial cause for the movement against Tlaib, calling it “a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people to replace it with a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.”
The censure measure was first brought forth by Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, in efforts to condemn rhetoric that some have deemed defensive of terrorism and anti-semitic. The initial resolution stated that Tlaib had “levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attacks on October 7th,” as per NPR. Tlaib has emphasized that her criticisms are reserved for Netanyahu and the actions of the Israeli government and military occupiers, and not for Israeli civilians or members of the Jewish community.
Democrats were initially uniformly allied with Tlaib, voting to defeat the first censure proposal against her last week. However, increasingly polarized comments have prompted some Jewish members of Congress to distance themselves. Tlaib’s usage of the slogan “from the river to the sea” drew condemnation from a host of officials, including Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The measure to censure Tlaib ultimately passed with a 234-188 vote in the House, with twenty-two Democrats joining the majority of Republicans.
Censures are among the most severe disciplinary measures that can be taken in Congress, one-step below expulsion from the House, according to the NYT. They are typically issued in instances of gross misconduct, and often require that the offending legislator stand in the well of the House as the censure resolution is read, although this was not the case for Tlaib.
While both party bases have historically been staunch supporters of Israel, a divide has begun to form in the Democratic Party in recent years. The current war in Gaza has further broken the Democrats into two factions, with progressives refusing to stand behind what they believe are unwarranted and excessive civilian losses on the Palestinian side. Recent weeks have seen staggering civilian death tolls as well as a blockade on essential food, water and resources within the Gaza Strip. A growing number of Americans and Congress members have made calls for Biden to support a ceasefire or withdraw military and economic aid to Israel.
The hearing on Nov. 7 gave way to charged emotional testimony on the House floor. Tlaib rejected the notion her protests have been anti-semitic, and made an impassioned defense for a ceasefire and increased sympathy for the Palestinian people.
“No government is beyond criticism,” Tlaib said. “The idea that criticizing 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.”
The Biden administration itself appears to be pulling back on its unquestioning support of Israel in light of recent activity on the Strip. Israel has pledged to fight until Hamas is eradicated, a goal that comes with the cost of a staggering number of lives, and the potential of igniting further conflicts in the Middle East, as reported by Times Magazine. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has publically pushed back against Netanyahu’s suggestions that Israel will take supervisory control of Gaza after the war’s conclusion.
“[There should be] no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats can emanate from the West Bank,” he said.
As for Tlaib, while she remains supported by allies in the progressive caucus, a similarly divided state in her own constituency may complicate her chances for reelection. According to recent reporting by the NYT, Michigan’s District 12, which Tlaib represents in Congress, was recently restructured to include both one of the largest communities of Arab Americans in the country, as well as one of Detroit’s largest Jewish populaces. She now faces the demanding task of representing the polarized views and demands within her own constituency, signaling the unique sensitivity and personal stakes that this war has ignited in communities across the globe.
