Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib - Capitol Hill's sole ethnically Palestinian lawmaker- has been censured by the House for her criticism of Israel following Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on the US ally's southern region.
The reprimand was passed in a 234-188-4 vote, with 22 Democrats favoring it and four Republicans voting against the gag order.
The Hill reported that the vote was the culmination of an effort by House Republicans to punish Tlaib for comments critical of Israel that have drawn condemnation from both sides of the chamber.
It was also the apex of the controversy surrounding Tlaib after she accused US President Joe Biden of supporting "the genocide of the Palestinian people" and included clips of protesters chanting "from the river to the sea," which the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) designated as antisemitic speech. Tlaib made a follow-up social media post doubling down on her use of the controversial phrase.
In an impassioned and emotional speech on the House floor on Tuesday, Tlaib - also a prominent member of the progressive Democratic caucus called "The Squad" - defended herself against the censure resolution, arguing that her criticisms were directed to the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words," she told the chamber. "I can't believe I have to say this, but Palestinian lives are not disposable."
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Bipartisan Condemnation
Tlaib's remarks sparked bipartisan condemnation, prompting House Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) to issue a statement that, without naming Tlaib, criticized her use of the phrase in question, saying that it was "widely understood as calling for the complete destruction of Israel" and "unacceptably risks further polarization, division, and incitement to violence."
Nevertheless, Democrat leadership urged their colleagues on Tuesday (November 7) to vote against advancing the resolution, defending Tlaib's right to make the controversial comments, despite most disagreeing with her words.
The resolution was proposed by Rich McCormick (R-GA), who accused Tlaib of "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel." The resolution also cited a statement from Tlaib on October 8, the day after the Hamas attack, which suggested that US aid to Israel was partially to blame for the violence in the Middle East.
While censure resolutions have a public effect and carry the stigma of being disciplined by legislative colleagues, they were non-binding, largely symbolic, and have no significant repercussions
Tlaib is the 26th lawmaker in the House's history and the second this year to be censured after Adam Schiff (D-CA) made efforts against former president Donald Trump in June.
A similar resolution to censure Tlaib was lobbied by Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) but told reporters that she has since decided to pull it from consideration, citing that she would not want to compete with McCormick's own resolution.
Related Article: House Rejects To Censure Rashida Tlaib Over Israel Criticism
