January 7, 2019 — New York, NY
AJC is outraged at the tweet posted by Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) claiming that U.S. senators who had introduced Israel-related legislation “forgot what country they represent.” That assertion, which completely avoids legitimate debate about the content of the bill itself, insinuates that a number of respected, long-serving senators are somehow more loyal to Israel than they are to the United States.
The charge evokes classical antisemitic tropes about dual loyalty—in this case applied to some lawmakers who are not even Jewish—that have no place in our political discourse. Ironically, it was Representative Tlaib who took the unusual step of wrapping herself in a foreign flag upon winning election to Congress, and who said she would serve as “a voice for” another nation in the House of Representatives.
Her ad hominem attack on congressional colleagues joins a growing list of troubling statements by the newly elected member, including her rejection of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
AJC calls on Rep. Tlaib to apologize for her offensive remarks.
