1 year ago
Rep. Rashida Tlaib accused President Joe Biden of supporting genocide in Gaza, warning that voters “won’t forget” his actions at the polls in 2024 in the strongest intraparty rebuke to the president since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.
In a video posted Friday to X, formerly known as Twitter, Tlaib featured interspersed clips of Biden administration officials expressing support for Israel, videos of dead and injured Palestinians in Gaza and clips from pro-Palestinian protests around the U.S., before closing with a direct message from Tlaib to Biden.
“Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one,” Tlaib said to the camera at the end of the video.
“Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people. The American people won’t forget. Biden, support a ceasefire now or don’t count on us in 2024,” text cards following Tlaib’s video message read.
The Biden administration has backed Israel’s right to defend itself while pushing for pauses in the country’s bombardment of neighboring Gaza to allow humanitarian aid, food and water to reach Palestinians.
Biden has faced mounting pressureto support a cease-fire with the Israeli government’s barrage of attacks killing at least 9,000 Palestinians since war broke out last month, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 1,400 Israelis were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on a music festival and Israeli settlements.
The Biden administration did not reply to a request for comment Saturday morning.
Tlaib — the only Palestinian member of Congress — has faced backlash for her vocal opposition to the Biden administration’s alliance with Israel amid the escalating violence following the deadly Hamas attack.
The Michigan representative last week faced a vote to censure her, helmed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who claimed that Tlaib participated in an attempted insurrection in a House office building by supporting Jewish protesters demanding a cease-fire. The censure effort failed in a 222-186 vote.
While fellow progressive “squad” members in Congress remained publicly silent on Tlaib’s genocide accusation, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) dodged questions about the video on Friday night, telling CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins that “every member has their own points of view.”
Lee also expressed her support for a cease-fire in Gaza and called on Biden to “speak very clearly about a cease-fire.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) posted Saturday morning that “66% of American voters across all political affiliations support a ceasefire," likely referring to an Oct. 20 Data for Progress poll.
Thousands of protesters are expected to rally later Saturday in Washington, D.C., to demand a cease-fire in Gaza and a halt to U.S. aid to Israel.
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