While the House of Representatives may have been more tolerant of anti-Semitism under Nancy Pelosi’s watch, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is having none of it.
McCarthy took decisive action on Tuesday evening by preventing an anti-Semitic event organized by Rep. Rashida Tlaib that was scheduled to be held in the Capitol Building from taking place.
The event, intended to commemorate the “Nakba,” a term used by Palestinians to describe the perceived “catastrophe” of Israel’s establishment as a Jewish state, was expected to be attended by several anti-Israel groups, some with known links to terrorism.
McCarthy’s office confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that he intervened to secure the Capitol Visitor Center space originally reserved by Tlaib for the anti-Semitic event. Instead, the speaker will lead a bipartisan briefing commemorating the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
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“It’s wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel,” McCarthy told the Free Beacon. “As long as I’m Speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion.”
Rashida Tlaib, a member of the so-called ‘Squad,’ faced criticism after it was reported by the Free Beacon that she intended to host the event in collaboration with various anti-Israel groups, some of which have expressed support for terrorism.
McCarthy’s intervention follows a letter sent Tuesday evening by a group of rabbis, urging leaders in both the House and Senate to denounce Tlaib’s event.
“It is unsurprising but appalling that the featured speaker at this event will be a Member of Congress who describes the only Middle Eastern country to give equality and voting rights to both Jews and Arabs as ‘apartheid,’” the Coalition for Jewish Values wrote in their letter to McCarthy. “We hope that our request will meet with your favorable response, and that you will condemn this event in the strongest terms as soon as possible.”
According to the report, Tlaib was originally slated to be the main speaker at the event, alongside several organizations known for supporting the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. One of these organizations is Jewish Voice for Peace, which has been described as a “radical anti-Israel activist group” and has faced criticism for glorifying Palestinian terrorism. Additional organizations include Emgage Action, a Muslim advocacy group that supports the BDS movement and alleges that Israel practices apartheid, and Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, an advocacy group that bemoans the so-called influence of Jewish money in American politics.
The future of the event organized by Tlaib and her cabal of anti-Semitic groups remains uncertain in light of McCarthy’s intervention.
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