Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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The U.S. House recently voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American in Congress, due to rhetoric she used regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Censure is a serious form of public admonishment that has occurred only 25 times in modern congressional history. It is a powerful tool that effectively silences opposition, because the next step after censure is expulsion.
A significant number of GOP House members took issue with Tlaib’s use of the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This was interpreted to be antisemitic and to mean that Israel should be destroyed. Tlaib explained that it was an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.” She also condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
Concluding her remarks, and nearly in tears, Tlaib proclaimed, “I can’t believe that I have to say this, Palestinians are not disposable”! Whether or not one agrees or approves of her, this is America and she has a right to be heard.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he wants to see Gaza flattened and Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, proclaimed that the rules of war should be swept aside and Gaza turned into a parking lot. These are the type of blatant, unambiguous and inflammatory proclamations that merit censure.
More than 11,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed during the bombardment of Gaza, nearly half of them children, and yet Republican House members voted to silence the only Palestinian voice in Congress. What happened to free speech?
