US President Donald Trump accused Democratic Representative Rashida Tlab of anti-Semitism after she stated that Palestinian Arabs provided shelter to Jews during the Holocaust.
"Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says?" Trump tweeted Monday.
Tlaib, a freshman Democrat representing Michigan in the US House of Representatives, said in an interview with Yahoo!’s Skullduggery podcast program Saturday that she felt pride in the fact that her “ancestors, Palestinians” provided Jews with a haven after the Holocaust.
“Let me tell you, I mean, for me, just two weeks ago or so, we celebrated, but just took a moment I think in our country to remember the Holocaust.”
“There’s always kind of a calming feeling when I think of the tragedy of the Holocaust,” Tlaib said, “that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence, in many ways, has been wiped out … in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-Holocaust, post-tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that in many ways.”
During the 56-minute interview on Skullduggery, Tlaib lashed out at both Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, accusing Netanyahu of oppression and calling for Trump’s impeachment.
“We can smell it from far away that, no, you don’t want to look at my grandmother in the eye, Netanyahu, and say ‘You are equal to me. You are as human as I am to you,’” Tlaib said of the recently reelected Israeli premier.
Tlaib's remarks have faced criticism as historical revisionism in America and Israel.
Likud MK Michal Shir responded to Tlaib’s claim that Palestinian Arabs had “provided” a “safe haven” for Jews after the Holocaust, saying the congresswoman should “open up a” book and study the history of the Middle East.
“I suggest Congresswoman Tlaib open up a history book once in a while,” said MK Shir. “The Arabs never provided the Jews with anything after the Holocaust besides more war and death. The Jews who survived the worst of it and immigrated to Israel to join their brothers and sisters in the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel were forced to deal with terrorists, and the continued and repeated refusal of the Arabs to live in peace and coexistence, leaving [the Jews] with no choice but to defend themselves.”
“The Arabs refused to recognize the right of the Jews to this state, and the Palestinians certainly aren’t willing to recognize it today. Yet in the State of Israel today, there are some 1.8 million Muslims, who live in the safest, most democratic state in the Middle East, which offers full equality for Muslims and Jews, men and women. The state defends its Muslims citizens from ISIS, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, which are just waiting for the opportunity to strike. I think Ms. Tlaib should thank the IDF.”