U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) first reported the latest violence in Israel and Gaza in comments Wednesday. progress.
This is 72 hours after the incident preliminary statement Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and a frequent critic of Israel, was slammed by many Republican and Democratic lawmakers for not condemning Israel. HamasAn Islamist militant group launched raids on Israel last week, including beheadings.
Tlaib expresses grief for Palestinian and Israeli lives lost after Hamas attacks, calls for end to ‘apartheid’
It was the deadliest day for the Jewish state in half a century since the Yom Kippur War. Israel then declared war, The death toll has exceeded 1,200including 22 Americans.
“I do not support the targeting and killing of civilians, whether in Israel or Palestine,” Tlaib first told reporters progress Wednesday. “Indeed, other suggestions made by some were offensive and rooted in prejudicial assumptions about my faith and race.”
In her first statement on Sunday, Tlaib said she was saddened by “the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives” but did not mention Hamas, while calling for “an end to the occupation and the dismantling of apartheid.”
“I am saddened by the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today and every day,” Tlaib said. “I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear, and enjoy True freedom, equal rights and human dignity. The path to this future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid, which created suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that could lead to resistance .
“Failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation and apartheid does not make anyone safer,” she said. “No child, no one, anywhere should be subjected to violence or live in fear of violence. We cannot lose sight of each other’s humanity. As long as our country provides billions of dollars in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this is heartbreaking. The cycle of violence will continue.”
State Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) criticized Tlaib on Twitter shortly after.
“This statement refuses to acknowledge 10/7 for what it is: a shocking act of terrorism,” explain State Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) tweeted.
“Hamas’ violence is not just the result of resistance; it is a major cause of instability in the region and prevents Israelis and Palestinians from living in peace and peace,” he added.
State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) explain “Congresswoman Tlaib’s refusal to condemn the terrorist acts of Hamas is unconscionable. She is unfit to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and should resign immediately,” she wrote on Twitter earlier Wednesday.
President Joe Biden pledged in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will provide more support to the Israel Defense Forces in the coming days.
“There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse,” Biden said in a speech on Tuesday. “Hamas does not represent the dignity and right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. Its stated purpose is the annihilation of Israel and the murder of Jews.”
