Democratic Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib of Michigan revealed for the first time publicly that she supports a growing anti-Israel movement, however, she remained silent on the issue until weeks after she was elected to congress.
Tlaib expressed her support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which seeks to punish the nation-state of Israel by economically starving the country for its alleged mistreatment of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
“I personally support the BDS movement,” Tlaib said during an interview with The Intercept published on Monday.
The BDS movement has been metastasizing through college campuses, initially promulgated by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and still the movement’s most visible arm. SJP has been linked to the Islamic terror group Hamas. Moreover, The U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the American umbrella group of the BDS movement has reportedly given money to terrorist organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Tlaib’s comments come in response to her rejection of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) invitation to visit Israel. For decades, newly-elected members of Congress have traveled to Israel to tour the land and meet with statesmen. Rather, Tlaib has decided to forgo the tradition in lieu of a trip to what has been referred to as ‘Palestine.’ Her stated goal is to “humanize Palestinians.”
Speculation that Tlaib supported the BDS movement emerged after she urged Congress to cut the United States’ military aid to Israel, however, her stance was not confirmed until she went on record with The Intercept. The Michigan congresswoman-elect has explicitly stated her support for a one-state solution, however, according to Haaretz, prior to her midterm election one of Tlaib’s senior adviser contended that she supported a two-state solution.
The revelation that Tlaib supports anti-Israel legislation comes only weeks after fellow freshman Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar of Minnesota made the same announcement. Tlaib and Omar together are the first Palestinian-American women elected to Congress.
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