In an interview published Saturday 13 July, U.S. Congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, heavily condemned Israel’s policy towards Palestinians as she called for international solidarity.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to serve in Congress, criticised Israel’s historical treatment of Palestinians, describing their country’s policies as an explicit violation to human rights.
She described them as “racist” and argued that Israel’s “continued dehumanisation” of the Palestinian people “violate[s] international human rights,” as well as her values as an American, comparing the situation in Israel to segregation in the United States, which was enforced by the Jim Crow laws, and the concept of “separate but equal."
During the interview, she stated that she’d witnessed Israel’s violations with her own eyes, while visiting Palestine.
“I can tell you when I was in Palestine with my mother and she had to get in a separate line. There are different colored license plates if you are Palestinian or Israeli. There is continued dehumaniaation and racist policies by the state of Israel that violate international human rights, but also violate my core values of who I am as an American,” Tlaib said to Jacobin magazine.
While emphasising that she wanted a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, she pointed out that Palestinians were “killed, died, uprooted from their land” due to Israel’s creation and people need to acknowledge that.
“I want there to be a recognition that it happened and from there on, do some sort of healing process and understanding that it needs to then lead to equality and freedom for my grandmother who still lives there. She should be able to die with some sort of human dignity.”
The congresswoman has also come under fire for her constant support for the Boycott Divestment & Sanctions movement (BDS).
Last week she tweeted about anti-BDS legislation currently being considered by the House, arguing that the bill was unconstitutional because “our First Amendment right to free speech allows [the] boycott of inhumane policies.”
Her colleague, U.S. congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, has also faced heavy criticism from many members of congress, including U.S. President Donald Trump, over her avid position on justice for Palestinians and criticism of the American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC).
Ilhan Omar, caused an outcry in February after suggesting that the anti-BDS movement in Congress was being funded by AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby.
According to the Middle East Monitor, various US politicians were quick to condemn her words, demanding for her to be distanced from office. They included US President’s son Donald Trump Junior, who accused her of siding with Hamas.
“It’s deeply troubling that we’ve reached the point where no one is shocked when sitting members of congress, like @IlhanMN & @RashidaTlaib, side with Hamas terrorists over Israel,” he wrote.