By Farnoush Amiri I Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The House is headed for a showdown vote Wednesday on whether to punish Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — the only Palestinian American in Congress — for her rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.
A vote to move forward on censuring Tlaib, a punishment one step below expulsion from the House, advanced Tuesday in a procedural vote. Republican Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia proposed the measure in response to what he called Tlaib’s promotion of antisemitic rhetoric.
“Rep. Tlaib has levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attack on October 7,” McCormick said.
Debate on the censure resolution was emotional and intense. With other Democrats standing by her side, Tlaib defended her stance and accused Republicans of trying to silence differing views about the decades-long conflict in the Middle East.
“I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said, adding that her criticism of the Jewish state has always been directed toward its government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It is important to separate people and government,” she said. “The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent. And it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”
The censure push sets the stage for a dramatic vote on the House floor amid political tensions over the ongoing, deadly Israel-Hamas war. While the majority of both parties have historically stood firmly on the side of Israel, divisions have emerged in the Democratic Party about the American response.
Some on the left have criticized President Joe Biden’s stance and urged him to put conditions on U.S. support for Israel as its aggressive military campaign drives the Palestinian death toll higher by the day. But the outcome of the vote Wednesday remains uncertain as many…
Read the full article here
