Rashida Tlaib Stays Silent While Challenged Over Hamas Crimes

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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.

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Progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib, one of the loudest critics of Israel within the U.S. government, has remained silent after being asked to take a stance in condemning Hamas' attack and justifying Israel's decision to retaliate.

Early on Saturday, the Palestinian paramilitary group Hamas launched a surprise attack by land, sea, and air on Israel, killing hundreds of people, including civilians and soldiers, and kidnapping dozens. After the attack, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas, and warned Israelis to brace themselves for a "long and difficult" conflict.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, faces calls to be primaried after releasing a statement on Sunday which called for Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip and condemned the country's "apartheid" against Palestinians. The lawmaker said she mourned the loss of life on both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, but did not explicitly condemn Hamas' attack.

Rashida Tlaib
Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., on September 14, 2023. Tlaib has yet to comment on the ongoing conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The "full siege" on Gaza announced by the Israeli government was condemned by the United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk on Tuesday, who said that such "sieges" are illegal under international law as they put civilians in a dire situation.

The Michigan representative has not spoken up against calls for her to face a primary challenge in 2024, and she avoided responding to the questions of a journalist who cornered her on her way to Congress.

Hillary Vaughn, a Fox News correspondent, asked Tlaib about Hamas fighters' actions in Israel, mentioning terrorists who [warning: graphic description] "cut off babies and burned children alive," and whether she supported "Israel's right to defend themselves against this brutality."

As Tlaib kept walking on, refusing to comment on the issue, Vaughn kept chasing her, asking her repeatedly if she condoned the [warning: graphic description] "chopping off of babies' heads."

She finally asked Tlaib, "Why do you have a Palestinian flag outside your office if you don't condone what Hamas terrorists have done to Israel?" Tlaib did not answer.

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

Some of her fellow members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, however, strongly condemned the paramilitary group's attack, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: "There's no justification for this violence."

"I condemn Hamas' attack in the strongest possible terms," New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. "No child and family should ever endure this kind of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region."

Addressing the issue of the unfolding conflict on Tuesday, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas as "sheer evil" and promised the U.S. will "make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today, tomorrow, as we always have."

Update, 10/11/2023 4:25 a.m. ET: This breaking news article has been updated to include further background information.

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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.

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