Tlaib seeks funds for more anti-Semitic events.

Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Fundraises Off Controversial Anti-Semitic Event

Background

Last week, Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib hosted an event mourning Israel’s creation as a “catastrophe.” The event, which celebrated the “Nakba,” a Palestinian term for the creation of Israel, drew widespread condemnation from House and Senate Republicans. Tlaib’s fundraising pitch references the event and boasts about her ability to hold it, even after it was initially canceled by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.).

Fundraising Pitch

In the fundraising email to her supporters, Tlaib pledges to confront “Israel’s apartheid regime” and work to cut off the billions of dollars the United States allocates to protect Israel from terrorism. She asks supporters to “chip in” so that she can “stand up to U.S. and Israeli attempts to silence and erase Palestinians.” Tlaib also claims she faces “constant targeting and bullying by extremists in Congress.”

Anti-Israel Groups

Tlaib was joined at the event by a cadre of anti-Israel groups that have defended terrorism and support the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which wages economic warfare on the world’s only Jewish state. Among them was Jewish Voice for Peace, a “radical anti-Israel activist group” that backs BDS and has come under fire for glorifying Palestinian terrorism. Emgage Action, another BDS supporter that claims Israel is an “apartheid state,” and Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, an advocacy group that claims Jewish money is infecting politics, also sponsored the event.

Condemnation

Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy groups denounced Tlaib’s event and called on leaders in both parties to issue a condemnation. While McCarthy stepped forward after receiving a letter from the Coalition for Jewish Values, an advocacy group composed of several thousand rabbis, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) dodged questions about the event. Schumer also took heat from Senate Republicans.

Conclusion

Tlaib’s controversial event and fundraising pitch have sparked outrage and condemnation from Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy groups, as well as Senate Republicans. The event and Tlaib’s rhetoric have been criticized for promoting anti-Semitism and spreading hate against Jewish Americans.