CBC members condemn Greeneās call to censure Tlaib over Israel
"Thatās just pettiness, andā¦weāve got to rise above that,ā Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., told theGrio.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a resolution this week to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the sole Palestinian-American in Congress.
On Thursday, Greene took to the House floor and accused Tlaib of engaging in āanti-Semitic activityā and āsympathizing with terrorist organizationsā and cited some of Tlaibās most recent pro-Palestine tweets.
āIn 2020, Rashida Tlaib retweeted an illustration with the caption from the āriver to the sea Palestine will be free,ā Greene said. āThis Palestine [[slogan]]ā¦has been adopted by Hamas and calls for the elimination of Israel and death to all Jews.ā
Following Greeneās remarks, Tlaib published a statement saying the hard-right conservativeās resolution was āunhingedā and ādeeply Islamophobic.ā The Democrat said the resolution also āattacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates.ā
āI am proud to stand in solidarity with Jewish peace advocates calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence,ā said Tlaib. āI will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized, and I will not be silenced.ā
In reaction to Greeneās resolution, Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., told theGrio, āThatās just pettiness, andā¦weāve got to rise above that.ā
Congresswoman Clarke continued: āEveryone has a right to freedom of speech, and certainly Marjorie knows that. She utilizes that and maximizes her freedom of speech, and likewise, Rashida has the right to speak as well.ā
Thursdayās measure comes after Greene accused Tlaib of leading a pro-Palestinian protest at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 18 that she referred to as an āinsurrection.”
Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, two Jewish human rights organizations, led hundreds of demonstrators to the Capitolās Cannon House Office to demand a cease-fire amid the Israel-Hamas war that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip.
āItās shameful,ā Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., told theGrio in reaction to Greeneās resolution. āLike all of us, Rep. Tlaib is mourning the violence and the loss of innocent civilian lives, both Israeli and Palestinian.
āBut, for her, itās tragically personal and happening in her homeland. Like myself, she has made it very clear that she believes every life is precious and no one more than another,ā Bush said of her fellow member of āThe Squad.ā
She added, āSilencing Palestinian voices and the voice of the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress is not the path to a just and lasting peace.ā
āThe push for censorship isnāt an attack on Rep. Tlaibās character and morals; itās a window into the lack of Rep. Taylor Greeneās,ā Bush told theGrio.
Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told theGrio, āI think it is interesting to see people who literally are insurrectionists ā and it includes Marjorie Taylor Greene ā trying to continually project on my colleagues, such as Rashida, this kind of extremism persona.ā
āRashida is Palestinian, where she has family members who are still stuck in the Gaza Strip. This is a very personal thing for her, and she is scared,ā explained Crockett. āShe doesnāt know if her grandmother will live. She doesnāt know if sheāll be able to stay in communication with [family members].
ā[Tlaib] is free in this country to express herself because we have a constitution that allows for that in the way that she sees fit,ā she added.
Referring to Republicansā staunch support of the right to bear arms, Crockett said, āI know that they only know about the second amendment, but there are a few other amendments.ā
Greene introduced a privileged resolution, which means the House must vote on it within two legislative days. However, the earliest House members will be able to vote on the measure is Wednesday, when congressional members return to Washington, D.C.
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