Overview

• The House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian-American in Congress, for her continued support of Palestine and criticism of the Israeli government amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas, specifically because of her use of the phrase, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' which opponents claim implies the destruction of Israel.
• Rep. Tlaib, however, clarified that the slogan is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not a call for death, destruction, or hate towards Israel or its citizens.
• Rep. Tlaib criticized the treatment of Palestinians and the Israeli government's massive bombardment of Gaza, which alone has resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Palestinians, according to the Gazan health ministry.
• Tlaib accused her colleagues of focusing on silencing her rather than on saving lives as the conflict continues, and expressed her commitment to continue calling for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, delivery of humanitarian aid, and a just, lasting peace.
• Despite the censuring, Rep. Tlaib insists she will not be silenced and maintains that no government is beyond criticism. She affirmed that her comments have always been directed toward the government of Israel and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not against Jewish people.