Democratic representative of Brooklyn and Manhattan, Dan Goldman slammed Rep. Far-left Rashida Tlaib on Wednesday, a day after voting to censure her for using what she called a “hurtful antisemitic trope.”
In a lengthy statement, Goldman said Tlaib (D-Mich.) had “promoted misinformation that fueled violence around the world, including against the United States embassy” during the month-long war between Israel and Hamas, before taking action against him for repeating the slogan “from the river to the sea” — a phrase that refers to the destruction of the state of Israel and its Jewish population.
“I contacted Representative Tlaib personally … to convey to him the hurt and harm his words have caused and how they have been received by many in the Jewish community,” Goldman said in a statement. “I urged him to make a public explanation, but he refused.”
The lawmaker’s office told The Post that Goldman had specifically requested an explanation for Tlaib’s spin on the slogan as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hatred.”
Dan Goldman blasted his fellow Democrats for his inflammatory rhetoric on the war in Israel. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“Just as we cannot allow public officials to make racist statements against any group or incite violence through racist speech, we cannot allow elected officials to do the same against Jews,” said Goldman, one of 22 House Democrats who voted to censure Tlaib Tuesday night.
Goldman’s friend from New York, Ritchie Torres, who also voted to censure Tlaib, agreed, tweeting: “Calling to end Israel as a Jewish State, through the sly phrase ‘from river to sea,’ crosses a line of hate speech that no public official should cross .
“Congress has the right to take a principled stand against hate speech that calls for the destruction of the only Jewish state in the world,” he added.
Rashida Tlaib has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s policies towards Palestine and has called for a ceasefire.Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
“‘From the River to the Sea’ means one thing,” tweeted another pro-condemnation Democrat, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, “the destruction of the state of Israel and those who call it home.”
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, played the role of victim in response to the remarks.
“It is a shame that my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than saving lives, because the number of deaths in Gaza exceeds 10,000. Many of them have shown me that the lives of Palestinians are not important to them,” he said in a statement.
“My colleagues had to distort my position in a resolution full of obvious lies. I have repeatedly condemned the horrific attacks and killings of civilians by Hamas and the Israeli government, and have mourned the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives.”
The resolution to censure Tlaib, authored by Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), accused him of “promoting a false narrative” about the war in Israel as well as “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
It cleared the House by a vote of 234-188.
Many progressives were shaken by the defection.
“It is an exaggeration. I am ashamed for the Democrats who voted to censure their own colleagues, who voted against free speech,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told CNN.
“Every single one of them does not acknowledge the fact that Palestinians are dying in the tens of thousands but will continue to say that we are the ones who do not acknowledge humanity,” a Rep. The enthusiastic Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). said on the House floor.
“Rashida will stand firm. And the Palestinian movement will continue for liberation.”
Ilhan Omar passionately defends Rashida Tlaib during the vote of condemnation. Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Internal tensions against Israel have risen among Democrats since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 33 Americans.
Several left- and center-wing groups have begun backing primary challengers and funding ad campaigns against members of the House’s so-called progressive “Squad,” including Tlaib.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
