Speaker Kevin McCarthy made an eleventh-hour boss move on Tuesday evening, shutting down an anti-Semitic event scheduled in the Capitol Building hosted by Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Tlaib had planned to mark the “Nakba,” which is the Palestinian word for expressing that the Jewish state of Israel’s creation was a “catastrophe.” Reportedly, various anti-Isreal groups were to be in attendance, including some that had previous ties to terrorism.
In the week prior, Tlaib had been ranting and raving on social media, claiming that “Nakba continues to this day.” She also reiterated her misleading claim that Israel is an “apartheid state” despite the fact that Arabs make up around 20 percent of the country’s population and enjoy full rights.
But while Nancy Pelosi may have put up with that nonsense, a new sheriff is in town. McCarthy stepped in, using his power of seniority as Speaker to reserve the room Tlaib had planned to do her event in (Free Beacon).
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy moved on Tuesday evening to block Michigan’s Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from hosting an anti-Semitic congressional event planned for Wednesday, the speaker’s office confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon.
McCarthy told the Free Beacon that he intervened late Tuesday to reserve the Capitol Visitor Center space where Tlaib was set to host a Wednesday event to mourn Israel’s founding as a “catastrophe.” In its place, the speaker will lead a bipartisan briefing celebrating the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“It’s wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel,” McCarthy told the Free Beacon. “As long as I’m Speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion.”
The anti-Semitic ‘Squad’ member came under fire this week after the Free Beacon reported that she would host the event alongside an array of anti-Israel groups, including some that have defended terrorism. Tlaib’s event was meant to celebrate the “Nakba,” a Palestinian term for the creation of Israel that loosely translates as “catastrophe.”
One of the more astonishing things I’ve seen in regard to Congress over the last half decade is the fact that Tlaib is the most openly anti-Semitic member, yet she receives almost no pushback. In fact, I wrote a piece prior to McCarthy’s rise to power urging him to target Tlaib just as vigorously as Rep. Ilhan Omar.
For some reason, that hasn’t really happened. It’s as if Tlaib’s identity as a Palestinian makes even Republicans walk on eggshells around her. It shouldn’t be that way. Way back in 2019, RedState reported that Tlaib hosted a literal terrorist supporter in Joe Catron, who is affiliated with the PFLP, a US-designated terror group.
Yes, Omar has a rich history of anti-Semitism, but for my money, no other member of Congress has embraced hatred of Jews more than Tlaib. She’s spread Jewish blood libel with outright lies, she’s been supported by terrorist sympathizers, and she’s made many comments directly expressing her antisemitism. At some point, Republicans in the House should say enough and strip her of her committee assignments.