Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) suffered a breakdown and began crying during the debate over the censure resolution that accused her of anti-Semitism.
The resolution stems from “anti-Semitic” statements Tlaib, which many of her critics said “crossed the line.”
Georgia Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene introduced a second motion to censure Tlaib, which related to her support for an illegal occupation of a federal building by protestors calling for Israel to issue a ceasefire.
During Tlaib’s speech, she claimed the safety concerns that anti-Semitism presents to all communities and highlighted the plight of Palestinians and their human rights.
“Anti-Semitism makes us all less safe,” Tlaib said.
“My sitti, my grandmother, like all Palestinians, just wants to live her life with freedom and human dignity we all deserve,” Rashida Tlaib said as she began to breakdown.
Watch
I am the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, and my perspective is needed here now more than ever. I will not be silenced and I will not let anyone distort my words.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) November 7, 2023
I’m from Detroit, where I learned to speak truth to power, even if my voice shakes. pic.twitter.com/bXhGPCcKat
Fellow Democrat, Rep. Debbie Dingell, defended Tlaib, who engaged with constituents over the weekend to gauge the sentiments regarding the phrase “from the river to the sea,
However, Dingell admitted that interpretations of the phrase do cause offense.
Watch
Many Republicans said the phrase propagates harmful stereotypes against Jewish people.
The phrase “from the river to the sea” is typically shorthand for:
“From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea,” encompassing the land that includes both Israel and the Palestinian territories (the West Bank and Gaza Strip).
The phrase has also been adopted by groups who want to remove the State of Israel.
Unsurprisingly, the phrase has become controversial within the Israeli and Jewish communities,
Greene said Tlaib’s use of the phrased shows was complicit in “antisemitic activity” and “sympathizing with terrorist organizations.”
Tlaib narrowly avoided censure for her previous antisemitic statements after both Republicans and Democrats opposed the resolution.
“In May, 2019, Rashida Tlaib said that she celebrated the Holocaust and felt a calming feeling when thinking about the genocide of millions of Jews. Whereas in 2020, she retweeted an illustration with the caption ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ And this Palestine organization’s slogan has been adopted by Hamas and calls for the elimination of Israel and the death of all Jews.”
WATCH: Rashida Tlaib Refuses to Condemn Beheadings of Israeli Babies
