Freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) is certainly making an impression in her first few days in the House of Representatives. Last week, she distinguished herself by vowing to “impeach the motherf***er,” referring to President Donald Trump at a MoveOn.org event in Washington, D.C., hours after being sworn into office. She also created a stir last week when one of her friends replaced Israel with a Post-It note that says “Palestine” on a map in Tlaib’s congressional office:
Someone has already made a slight alteration to the map that hangs in Rashida Tlaib’s new congressional office. pic.twitter.com/mwyshIog4r
— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) January 3, 2019
Tlaib stepped in it again over the weekend when she suggested in a tweet that several U.S. senators have dual loyalties to both the United States and Israel.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and the American Jewish Committee on Monday pushed back at Tlaib, decrying her statement as “outrageous” and “anti-Semitic.”
Rubio, along with Senator James Risch (R-Idaho), last week reintroduced pro-Israel legislation that did not get passed in the last Congress. The Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 combines several Middle East-related items into a single bill, including Syria withdrawal and financial aid to Israel.
One section of the bill, called Combating BDS Act of 2019, would protect states that penalize Israel boycotters. According to Rubio, Democrat leaders are trying to avoid a vote on his bill because it would expose how many Democrat BDS supporters are now in the Senate.
The bill empowers “state and local governments in the United States to counter the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement’s discriminatory economic warfare against the Jewish state,” a press release on Senator Rubio’s website says.
“They forgot what country they represent,” Tlaib, a Palestinian American, wrote on Twitter Sunday. “This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality.”
They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order, then get back to opening up our government instead of taking our rights away. https://t.co/KkmqjR58ZM
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 7, 2019
Rubio hit back on Twitter Monday morning: “This ‘dual loyalty’ canard is a typical anti-Semitic line. #BDS isn’t about freedom & equality, it’s about destroying #Israel.”
This “dual loyalty” canard is a typical anti-Semitic line#BDS isn’t about freedom & equality, it’s about destroying #Israel
And if boycotting #Israel is constitutionally protected, then boycotting companies that boycott #Israel is also constitutionally protected https://t.co/6yBM0bQB5L
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 7, 2019
The Florida senator also rebutted Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after the socialist claimed the bill “punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity.”
It’s absurd that the first bill during the shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity. Democrats must block consideration of any bills that don’t reopen the government. Let's get our priorities right. https://t.co/rHvpBHtHI5
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 6, 2019
“This is a lie,” Rubio shot back. “My bill doesn’t punish any political activity. It protects the right of local & state govts that decide to no longer do business with those who boycott #Israel.”
This is a lie.
My bill doesn’t punish any political activity. It protects the right of local & state govts that decide to no longer do business with those who boycott #Israel.
So boycotting #Israel is a constitutional right,but boycotting those participating in #BDS isn’t? https://t.co/kY9MSmBkkh
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 7, 2019
Rubio later divulged on Twitter that a “huge argument broke out at Senate Dem meeting last week over BDS” and Democrat leaders want to avoid a floor vote on his bill because it would expose that there is now a “significant” number of BDS supporters on their side:
The shutdown is not the reason Senate Democrats don’t want to move to Middle East Security Bill.
A huge argument broke out at Senate Dem meeting last week over BDS. A significant # of Senate Democrats now support #BDS & Dem leaders want to avoid a floor vote that reveals that.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 7, 2019
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) also weighed in on Tlaib’s comment with a tweet accompanied with a photo of the congresswoman hugging someone wrapped in the Palestinian flag:
Tell us more about dual loyalty, @RashidaTlaib. pic.twitter.com/mpUrLu2YIi
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) January 7, 2019
1) It’s outrageous to imply dual loyalty because you disagree with a policy initiative.
2) A new member of Congress has no place saying that four U.S. Senators don’t know which country they represent. https://t.co/PAfUKYIA5z— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) January 7, 2019
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