House Censures Rashida Tlaib

She says her criticism of Israeli government does not amount to antisemitism
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 8, 2023 12:30 AM CST
Rashida Tlaib Censured by House
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks during a news conference on May 25, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Days after a resolution to censure her was blocked in the House of Representatives, the chamber on Tuesday voted to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The Republican-led resolution passed 234-188, with four Republicans voting against it and 22 Democrats voting for it, CNN reports. Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress, has come under fire repeatedly for her remarks on Israel, and the latest censure resolution was introduced after her use of the phrase "from the river to the sea" became a flashpoint in the controversy surrounding her. The Hill explains that while a censure alone is simply a public rebuke of the lawmaker, her committee assignments could also be stripped as an additional punishment.

CNN calls the censure "a rare and significant rebuke," and Tlaib responded after the vote. "It is important to separate people and governments. No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it's been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation," she said. "I can't believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable," she continued, before getting emotional and taking a lengthy pause during which her colleague Ilhan Omar, who has been similarly criticized, comforted her. "We are human beings just like anyone else." (More Rashida Tlaib stories.)

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