Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) is urging his colleagues “across the aisle” to join him in calling for the immediate removal of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) from all congressional committees in the wake of her recent anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric, Breitbart News reports.
In response to Tlaib’s recent participation in an anti-Israel conference with purported terrorist ties as well having recently retweeted a slogan calling for the elimination of the Jewish State, the Western Pennsylvania Republican sought to garner support from fellow congressmen for his proposal.
“This week, Democrat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib participated in a forum led by one of the nation’s most anti-Israel advocacy groups that featured other participants with reported connections to Hamas, terrorism financiers, and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement,” Reschenthaler told Breitbart News in a statement.
“Rep. Tlaib’s participation in this conference, coupled with her recently deleted retweet of a slogan calling for the elimination of Israel, are just the latest examples of a deeply disturbing pattern of anti-Semitism that has been on display since she was elected. Yet Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats refuse to condemn her heinous behavior,” he added.
“As a Member of Congress representing southwestern Pennsylvania, I have seen firsthand what happens when we stand by and allow anti-Semitism and intolerance to pervade our communities. In 2018, eleven Jewish worshippers were killed and six others were wounded at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The day after this cowardly act of violence, I stood in solidarity with Americans of all religions, races, and ethnicities at a vigil honoring the victims of this heinous crime, and the first time I ever spoke on the House floor was to denounce hatred and bigotry in all forms,” said Reschenthaler.
Criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said, “By failing to act and hold Rep. Tlaib accountable, Pelosi is emboldening her and others to continue spreading and escalating this dangerous, hateful bigotry.”
Reschenthaler concluded by urging his fellow congressmen on both sides of the political divide to join him promptly in calling for Tlaib’s dismissal from her committee assignments.
The statement came after Tlaib removed from her Twitter feed a retweet that said “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” following criticism of her retweeting the phrase.
Tlaib is no stranger to controversy surrounding Israel, as she has several times caused uproars with anti-Israel statements.
She claimed in an interview last year that Palestinian Arabs living in the British Mandate prior to the establishment of the State of Israel “provided” a safe haven to Jews after the Holocaust.
In addition, when asked in a past television interview whether she would vote against military aid to Israel when she goes to Congress, Tlaib replied, “Absolutely.”
In May, Tlaib tweeted an acknowledgement of Nakba Day, a day commemorated by Palestinian Arabs to mark what they call the “catastrophe” of the establishment of the State of Israel.
More recently, she came under fire for a series of tweets criticized as being anti-Semitic.
When commenting on the nomination of Tony Blinken as Secretary of State, Tlaib wrote, “So long as he doesn't suppress my First Amendment right to speak out against Netanyahu's racist and inhumane policies. The Palestinian people deserve equality and justice.”
A day later she tweeted, “Sec. Pompeo has moved to suppress BDS, a peaceful protest movement protected by the 1st Amendment. I hope that Mr. Blinken and President-Elect Biden’s Administration will change course from Trump’s State Department & not target or suppress support of Palestinian human rights.”
Last summer, Israel announced it would bar entry to Tlaib and fellow Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar over their support for BDS.