WASHINGTON, DC: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib found herself at the center of controversy on Monday, October 9 after a January photo resurfaced showing her proudly posing alongside a Palestinian flag outside her office in the US Congress.
The image had originally been shared in response to Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's efforts to ban the Palestinian national symbol in Israel. However, it gained renewed attention in the wake of recent attacks by Hamas in Israel.
Rashida Tlaib faces backlash amidst ongoing crisis
In her January post, Tlaib had emphasized her Palestinian heritage and railed against what she referred to as an apartheid system in Israel.
"Palestinians may be banned from flying their flag under an apartheid government, but we can still proudly do it at my office. I'm proud to be a Palestinian American, and I want the Palestinian people to know that not all Americans support apartheid. No one can erase our existence," Tlaib posted on social media at the time.
Yet, following the series of attacks by Hamas in Israel, Tlaib faced severe backlash on various social media platforms. Critics argued that displaying the Palestinian flag in the US Congress was inappropriate, given the ongoing crisis in Israel.
"Raise your hand if you demand that House (R's) force Rashida Tlaib to remove the Palestine flag from the front of her office," one user posted on X, alongside the controversial image.
"This is AMERICA... No other flags should ever be in the people's house... period," another user wrote, echoing the sentiments of many who felt the flag was out of place in a US government office.
"This is the people’s house, not her front yard!!!" someone else added.
Tlaib's constituents also expressed their discontent, with one stating, "As a constituent of hers, I'll be calling her offices first thing Monday morning to demand its removal. With any luck, she'll take it back to Palestine and stay there with it."
"This is why there is only one flag I recognize in my country and that is old glory," another posted.
The backlash intensified as critics questioned Tlaib's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In a statement released over the weekend, she condemned the "violent reality" of the Israeli "apartheid state" but did not specifically condemn Hamas, the Iranian-backed Palestinian terror group responsible for the recent shocking attack on Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog, a retired Brigadier General in the Israeli Defense Forces, called on Tlaib to unequivocally condemn Hamas. In a Twitter post, he questioned, "How much more blood needs to be spilled for you to overcome your prejudice and unequivocally condemn Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization?"
"Hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians massacred in cold blood on a holy day. Babies kidnapped from their mother's arms and taken to Gaza. An 85-year-old woman in a wheelchair and a Holocaust survivor taken hostage. Is that not enough, @RashidaTlaib?" Herzog added.
The criticism of Tlaib continued as she reiterated her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing the need to lift the blockade, end the occupation, and dismantle what she claimed was an apartheid system in Israel, the New York Post reported.
"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," she added.
She also criticized the United States for providing unconditional funding to support the Israeli government.
"While that support continues," she wrote, "this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue," placing blame on both the United States and Israel for the actions of Hamas that have left more than 700 Israelis dead and thousands more injured and missing.
Throughout her time in public office, Rashida Tlaib has been known for making controversial remarks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly criticizing Israel's policies regarding settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She is a member of 'The Squad,' a group of progressive women in the Democratic Congressional caucus.
Israeli response and current situation
Hamas' surprise attack on Israel occurred just one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, which marked a significant conflict in Israel's history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war and promised "mighty vengeance" against Israel's attackers.
The Israeli Defense Forces initiated airstrikes on key Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip, urging civilians in certain regions to evacuate before retaliatory attacks.
Speaking on the matter, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to defeat Hamas but cautioned that the war would "take time" and promised to reduce Gaza to "rubble." He also called on innocent Palestinians to leave immediately, warning that Hamas would face unprecedented consequences. Hamas will pay "a price it has never known," he promised.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Sunday, October 8, that at least four Americans were believed to have been killed during the attack on Israel, with reports suggesting that some may have been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. The situation continues to evolve.
