Rashida Tlaib: Israel 'exists' to 'detriment' of Palestinians

An absolutely stunning moment from a member of Congress this morning.

Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Israel “exists” to the “detriment” of Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/B1JE7hkgjU

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 28, 2019

After co-sponsoring an anti-Israel House resolution with fellow Muslim Congress member Rep. Ihan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., gave qualified answers to the question of whether she supports Israel’s right to exist.

Tlaib told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Israel “exists” to the “detriment” of the Palestinians.

Her resolution, supported by 17 Democrats, compared the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to the American boycott of Nazi Germany.

Tapper asked the Muslim congresswoman on Sunday: “So you talk about the hate agenda and there is criticism of you from fellow Democrats for your support for the BDS movement for boycott, divest, sanctions, an anti-Israel movement.”

“Well it is anti … it is criticizing the racist policies of Israel and it is a boycott,” she said.

“I can tell you that all around college campuses, there are Jews, Muslims, Hindus, all different kinds of backgrounds who are pushing back against racist policies in Israel because they see the human rights violations of children being detained,” said Tlaib.

“We all know that under (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s regime, human rights violations have gotten worse.”

Tapper then directly asked Tlaib: “Do you think the Jewish people have the right to a state in the area where Israel exists now?”

Tlaib replied: “I truly believe the state of Israel is – it exists, correct.

“But understand,” she continued, “does it exist in the detriment of inequality for the Palestinian people? The detriment of not moving forward in a peaceful resolution?

“We’re never going to have peace, I truly believe, if separate but equal is the way they want to go. And I could tell you I learned that from my African-American teachers in Detroit public schools who showed me what the pain of oppression looks like. We’re not gonna have peace if we don’t understand that we are dehumanizing Palestinians every single day when we choose Israel over their rights.”

Tapper, obviously unsatisfied with her answer, asked again, “Yes or no, does Israel have a right to exist?”

“Of course, but just like Palestinians have a right to exist,” she replied.

“Palestinians also have a right to human rights. We can’t say one or the other. We have to say it in the same breath or we’re not gonna actually have a peaceful resolution.”

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