Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Penn., called on Democrats to strip Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., of her committee assignments after it was reported that she attended an “anti-Israel advocacy” conference featuring participants with reported connections to terrorist financiers.
Tlaib attended the annual American Muslims for Palestine conference over Thanksgiving weekend alongside Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
Several anti-Israel groups that support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement also attended, including the Palestinian Return Center, which has reportedly been linked to Hamas.
Other speakers at the conference included Huwaida Arraf, a BDS promoter and lawyer who represented a Palestinian terrorist, according to the Washington Free Beacon, and the Holy Land Foundation, which funneled upwards of $12 million to Hamas in 2001.
Tlaib’s participation in the event, coupled with the fact that Tlaib recently shared a tweet that stated, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” should disqualify Tlaib from serving on Democratic committees, Reschenthaler argued.
“Rep. Tlaib’s participation in this conference, coupled with her recently deleted retweet of a slogan calling for the elimination of Israel, are just the latest examples of a deeply disturbing pattern of anti-Semitism that has been on display since she was elected,” he said in a statement. “Yet Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats refuse to condemn her heinous behavior.”
Reschenthaler pointed out that Republicans have been quick to denounce anti-Semitic and racist conduct among their own.
“House Republicans demonstrated we have zero tolerance for hateful speech in our ranks,” Reschenthaler noted. “When outgoing Republican Congressman Steve King made inexcusable racist remarks, not only did he receive widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle, but Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy rightfully stripped him of his committee assignments.”
Democrats, however, have refused to do the same, he said.
“The lack of condemnation from the left regarding Rashida Tlaib’s attendance at an anti-Israel conference last week is deeply disturbing,” Reschenthaler said.
