Rashida Tlaib Responds to Marjorie Taylor Greene's Censure Push: 'Unhinged'

Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, has fired back at Marjorie Taylor Greene after the GOP congresswoman pushed to censure Tlaib's criticisms against Israel.

Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, has been a vocal critic about Israel's response to Hamas' surprise attack on October 7, which was the deadliest Palestinian militant attack of Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,400 people in Israel have been killed as of Thursday, the Associated Press reported, while over 7,000 Palestinians have died, according to officials from the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.

The congresswoman, who said she mourned the loss of lives on both sides, has called for a ceasefire and put blame of the Biden Administration for "failing in its duty to protect all civilian and American lives in Gaza."

Adding to the tension between Tlaib and the US government is the fallout from her comments after the October 17 explosion at al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City that killed approximately 500 people, according to Gaza officials.

That same day, Tlaib posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood."

Despite initial claims from the Hamas-run health ministry that an Israeli airstrike was to blame for the mass causality, which Israel denied, U.S. intelligence determined that Israel "was not responsible" and also told Newsweek the death toll was lower. However, when news broke that Israel was not responsible for the attack, Tlaib said on her website that she could not "uncritically accept Israel's denials of responsibility as fact, especially in light of confirmation from the World Health Organization that Israel has bombed numerous medical facilities in Gaza and reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society of ongoing threats from the Israeli military to evacuate hospitals."

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who called Tlaib an "Israel hating America hating woman who does not represent anything America stands for," introduced a resolution to the House floor on Thursday to censure her fellow congresswoman, which Jared Moskowitz, a democrat from Florida, has urged Congress to consider.

The resolution states that Tlaib is being censured for "antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex." The "insurrection" that Greene was referring to was a Jewish-led, pro-Palestinian protest that demanded lawmakers call for a ceasefire, which Tlaib took part in on October 18 at the Capitol's Cannon House Office Building.

In response to Greene's efforts to censure Tlaib, the democratic representative wrote on X on Thursday afternoon: "Marjorie Taylor Greene's unhinged resolution is deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates. I am proud to stand in solidarity with Jewish peace advocates calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence."

Tlaib is not backing down, telling Greene, "I will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized, and I will not be silenced. I will continue to call for ceasefire, for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, for the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained, and for every American to be brought home. I will continue to work for a just and lasting peace that upholds the human rights and dignity of all people, and ensures that no person, no child has to suffer or live in fear of violence."

Two minutes after Tlaib posted her statement, Greene made her own post saying, "UNHINGED Jihad Squad member and leader of the Hamasurrection Rashida Tlaib still refuses to denounce Hamas terrorism after spewing vial antisemitic hatred. Tlaib must be held accountable! I hope every one of my colleagues join me when we go on the record to censure her," along with a video of Ben Bergquam from Real America's Voice, a conservative streaming news channel, asking Tlaib if she will "denounce Hamas"—a question she did not entertain.

Progressive Jewish organizations IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace were at the October 18 protest. Beth Miller, a political director for JVP's sibling organization JVP Action spoke out against Greene's resolution in a press alert obtained by Newsweek on Thursday: "Believe it or not, a self-described 'Christian nationalist' who believes in 'Jewish space lasers' doesn't have the best interests of Jewish people at heart.

"On October 18, over 500 Jews and allies sat on the floor of a Congressional house office building in prayer and song to demand an immediate ceasefire to save Palestinian and Israeli lives, and to prevent an imminent genocide of Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli government," Miller said. "Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is one of the leading anti-war voices in Congress right now, and has the support of progressive Jews across the country. Clearly, Marjorie Taylor Greene is politically threatened by Palestinians and Jews coming together to work for peace and justice."

Newsweek reached out to Greene's office via phone for comment on Thursday. Tlaib's office could not be reached after multiple attempts.

Update 10/26/23, 5:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from JVP Action.