Rashida Tlaib under fire for event marking ‘catastrophe’ of the founding of Israel

The first member of Congress of Palestinian descent is under fire for helping organize an event marking the “catastrophe” of the creation of the Jewish state of Israel 75 years ago.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a far-left supposedly progressive “squad” member, wrote in a May 1 tweet that “75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day.” Nakba refers to the establishment of a Jewish-majority state in what was once Palestine. It claims the act was a form of “ethnic cleansing.”

May 15, 2023 marks the 75th year of Israel’s restoration – and Rep. Tlaib is hosting an event at the Capitol on Wednesday, May 10, to mark the anniversary to “educate” Congress and “improve the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba.” ‘

“Rashida Tlaib, who has repeatedly used anti-Semitic tropes, is organizing an event to attack Israel with groups that defend terrorism and support the anti-Semitic BDS movement,” Ronna McDaniel, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), tweeted Monday night.

Nakba, which Tlaib has invoked, refers to the “catastrophe” of Israel’s creation and refers to the land’s settlement in what was once Palestine as a form of “ethnic cleansing”

She added: “This is outrageous. We totally condemn this. Republicans stand with Israel!’

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) is a Palestinian-led initiative aimed at promoting public boycotts, corporate divestments and government economic sanctions against Israel.

Tlaib joins the so-called “squad,” which includes other anti-Israel members of Congress — such as Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been widely criticized for sharing anti-Semitic conspiracies and repeating anti-Jewish tropes.

As pro-Israel groups celebrate the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Jewish state this week, pro-Palestinians and groups are protesting against the formation of Israel.

‘May 15 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nakba, which means ‘catastrophe’. reads the description for Tlaib’s event Nakba 75 & the Palestinian People.

“Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli army forcibly expelled about three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel,” the description of the event adds.

“To elevate the experiences of Palestinians undergoing the Nakba, and educate Congressmen and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians, we have teamed up to host this congressional and community education event, to be held immediately afterwards. followed by dinner.’

Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the star guest of Wednesday’s event in the auditorium of the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., hosted by nine different pro-Palestinian groups.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) criticized Tlaib for her remark against the State of Israel.

“For 75 years, anti-Israel voices have tried to rewrite history and deny the Jewish state’s right to exist,” the group wrote on Twitter this month. “These dangerous lies have only brought pain and suffering to Israelis and Palestinians.”

“Build a better future, Representative Rashida Tlaib. Stop the lies, stop the hate, work for peace,” it adds.

Tlaib criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this month for claiming Israel was “conceived in freedom and committed to the premise that we are all equal.”

“Speaker McCarthy wants to rewrite history, but the apartheid state of Israel was born out of violence and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,” Tlaib wrote in a May 1 tweet. “75 years later, the Nakba is still going on.”

The tweet was later given a context box, which was a result of Twitter’s new community rating system.

Tlaib joins the far-left ‘squad’, which includes Representative Ilhan Omar, which has come under fire for sharing anti-Semitic tropes

Context was added to the tweet to note that Israel originated from United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, adding that the “ethnic cleansing” referred to by the Michigan congressman includes both Jewish and Arab communities then hit five Arab states that went to war against Israel’s establishment.

Founder and CEO of Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) Dumisani Washington praised: “As a result of Twitter’s new community rating system, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s lies and distortions about Israel have been exposed.”

“This is indeed a new day.”

Tlaib wrote a resolution last year, supported by other members of the “squad,” demanding that the US “commemorate the Nakba through official recognition and commemoration.”