Rashida Tlaib Faces Punishment

By

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page
US News Reporter
Trust Project Icon Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the House's most vocal critics of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, is likely to face punitive action from Republicans once Congress has elected a new speaker.

Tlaib, a progressive Democrat and a Palestinian American, has frequently accused Israel of creating an "apartheid state." Her statements since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent airstrikes on Gaza have been criticized by conservatives and MAGA supporters, with calls for her to be primaried or censured in the House.

However, the vacancy in the speaker's chair has prevented the House from voting on a rebuke.

Rashida Tlaib
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) speaks outside the U.S. Capitol Building on September 19. She has criticized America's support for Israel in the conflict in Gaza. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

As of Wednesday, at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and more than 100 have died in the West Bank, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities there. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage, according to Israeli officials, the AP said.

Tlaib issued a statement the day after Hamas' attack, expressing sorrow for the loss of "Palestinian and Israeli lives." She also called for "ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance" in Gaza.

She did not explicitly mention Hamas in her statement. Other members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, have condemned the militant group.

Tlaib has also refused to back down on her comments about the strike on the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which she blamed on Israel. Hundreds of civilians are thought to have died in the blast on October 17.

Although President Joe Biden has said Israel was not responsible and it looked like "the other team" was behind it, Tlaib is calling for a formal and independent investigation into the explosion.

Initial investigations by news agencies and other organizations have not reached a clear conclusion on who launched the strike.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for Tlaib to be censured for her statement on the hospital blast. This would not remove the Michigan Democrat from office, but would affect any committee roles.

Greene's plan was immediately hampered by the fact that the House needs a speaker in place to rebuke a lawmaker.

The post has been vacant since Kevin McCarthy was forced out by hardline Republicans on October 3, with three potential replacements coming and going. The GOP nominated its fourth candidate, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who was voted in on Wednesday.

With a speaker now in place, Greene could try to move ahead with her censure plan. Newsweek contacted Greene's spokesperson for comment about the censure last week, but has not received a response.

Calls for Tlaib to be primaried, spurred by a social media post from political strategist Tim Willer and supported by a number of MAGA commentators, have not received the explicit support of lawmakers.

Newsweek contacted Tlaib's office for comment by email on Wednesday.

Update 10/26/23 5:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Request Reprint & Licensing Submit Correction View Editorial & AI Guidelines

Top stories

About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more