The House votes 234-188 to reprimand Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, who has said she will not be silenced.
The US House of Representatives has voted to censure Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, for her comments on the war between Israel and Hamas.
The House voted 234-188 Tuesday night to censure the three-term Democratic congresswoman from Michigan.
Some 22 members of her own party joined Republicans in supporting a resolution saying Tlaib “promoted false narratives regarding Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and called for the destruction of the State of Israel “.
The sanction is one step below expulsion and follows the failure of a censure resolution last week.
More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its bombing of Gaza a month ago after the armed group Hamas killed at least 1,400 people and took more than 200 prisoners in an attack on Israel.
The United States, long Israel’s strongest supporter, has resisted calls for a ceasefire, despite growing global anger over the humanitarian crisis in the densely populated territory of 2.3 million people.
While criticizing the Israeli response and US support, Tlaib also repeatedly condemned the Hamas attack.
Before the vote, she defended her position, saying she “would not be silenced” and would not allow her words to be misrepresented.
With some progressive Democratic colleagues at her side, she stressed that her criticism has always been directed at the Israeli government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It’s important to separate people and government,” she said. “The idea that criticizing the Israeli government is anti-Semitic sets a very dangerous precedent. And it has been used to silence diverse human rights voices across our country.
The debate over the censure resolution, introduced by Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, was emotional and intense, with some representatives focusing on the “from the river to the sea” slogan, which Tlaib has used frequently, calling it ” ambitious call.” for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence.”
While she defended her position, Tlaib was defeated.
“Palestinians are not disposable,” she said, taking a long pause. Her grandmother lives in a village in the occupied West Bank.
Brad Schneider, a Jewish Democrat from Illinois, said he thought it was important to debate the meaning of those words.
“This is nothing other than a call for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews,” he said. “I will always defend the right to freedom of expression. Tlaib has the right to say whatever she wants.
He added: “But this cannot go unanswered. »
It was unclear whether Schneider supported final adoption of the resolution.
Other Democrats warned of the risks to free speech from censorship and the precedent it would set.
“This resolution not only degrades our constitution, but it diminishes the sense of discipline within this body for people who commit illicit acts like corruption, fraud, violent attacks, etc. said Jamie Raskin, who defended Tlaib against the resolution.
Censored lawmakers are asked to stand on the House floor while the censure resolution is read aloud to them.
With this vote, Tlaib will become the second Muslim American woman in Congress after Ilhan Omar to be formally reprimanded this year for criticizing Israel.
Republicans voted in February to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.