Democrats and Republicans alike have blasted two members of Congress for calling for the United States to end its unconditional support of Israel.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush, who are half of the progressive congressional group called The Squad, came under fire for releasing statements where they called the country an apartheid state immediately after it was attacked by Hamas, the terrorist-designated organization that governs Palestinians in the Gaza Strip occupied territory.
Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, said in her statement, “I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity.”
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“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” she wrote. “The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other.”
The Michigan congresswoman concluded, “As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”
Bush’s statement released around the same time noted how “heartbroken” she was by the violence between the two entities and mourned that “over 250 Israeli and 230 Palestinian lives” were lost by Hamas militants’ surprise attack.
“I strongly condemn the targeting of civilians and I urge an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation to prevent further loss of life,” the Missouri representative wrote and posted on her X account.
“Violations of human rights do not justify more violations of human rights, and a military response will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis alike,” the statement said.
Bush’s remarks became more pointed, with her stating that she believes the path to achieve “lasting peace” and “stop this violence and trauma” is “by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.”
My statement on the ongoing violence in Palestine and Israel ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NIt9G7aLMI
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) October 8, 2023
Right-wing personality Megyn Kelly criticized Tlaib and Bush’s remarks on her show on Monday, claiming there are “raging anti-Semites in the halls of Congress.”
Several politicians viewed their comments as inappropriate and lashed out.
New York Rep. Ritchie Torres was one of the loudest voices condemning the women’s comments, calling them “repulsive” in a statement delivered to the Jewish Insider.
“U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need,” Torres wrote in part. “Shame on anyone who glorifies as ‘resistance’ the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive.”
.@RepRitchie responds to comments from Reps. Bush and Tlaib on the situation in Israel. "Shame on anyone who glorifies as “resistance” the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive."
— Marc Rod (@marcrod97) October 8, 2023
Full statement: pic.twitter.com/KP0L1eAnNU
Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democratic representative, also released a statement to the same publication.
“Two of my colleagues called for America to end assistance to Israel, despite the countless images of Israeli children, women, men and elderly, including Americans, murdered by radical Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists,” he wrote.
“It sickens me that while Israelis clean the blood of their family members shot in their homes,” he continued, “They believe Congress should strip U.S. funding to our democratic ally and allow innocent civilians to suffer.”
.@RepJoshG statement to me on Tlaib and Bush comments: “It sickens me that while Israelis clean the blood of their family members shot in their homes, they believe Congress should strip U.S. funding to our democratic ally and allow innocent civilians to suffer.” pic.twitter.com/gkluNeyEFU
— Marc Rod (@marcrod97) October 8, 2023
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, also spoke out against the congresswomen. He asked Tlaib primarily, “How much more blood needs to be spilled for you to overcome your prejudice and unequivocally condemn Hamas?”
Much blood has been shed. More than 1,000 people have been killed (both Israeli and Palestinian) and 3,418 injured as a result of the Hamas attack and the subsequent Israeli retaliation on Gaza. Numbers are continuing to rise as emergency relief assesses damages.
