Former DNC Chair Schultz Calls Democrat Tlaib ‘Antisemitic’ Over Remarks On Israel

Topline

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) accused fellow House Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) of making antisemitic comments Wednesday after Tlaib slammed progressives who “back Israel’s apartheid government,” Tlaib’s latest criticism of the Israeli state’s treatment of Palestinians.

Key Facts

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, took part in a virtual speaking session Tuesday for Palestine Advocacy Day, an annual event put on by the American Muslims for Palestine.

Tlaib said during the session that progressives “cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel’s apartheid government,” saying she and other supporters of Palestinians will continue to “push back and not accept this idea.”

Her comments drew backlash even from within her own party, including from former Democratic National Committee head Wasserman, who said in a tweet Wednesday calling people’s progressive credentials into question over their support of Israel is an “outrageous progressive litmus test” and “nothing short of antisemetic.”

Wasserman said progressives can “support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state,” adding that “suggesting otherwise is shameful and dangerous.”

Tangent

Tlaib’s musings on Israel came during a larger panel discussion about the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was shot and killed in May while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank. A U.S.-overseen investigation found she was likely accidentally killed by Israeli troops, but did not reach a definitive conclusion. A group of Democratic lawmakers have since called for a fuller probe, alleging the one that took place “hardly constitutes an independent investigation.” Last month, Israel signed a ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group to end a three-day spree of fighting in Gaza that killed dozens of Palestinians and injured hundreds, marking the worst violence since war broke out between Israel and Hamas in 2021.

Key Background

Tlaib is a staunch supporter of Palestinians and has expressed support for a “one-state solution,” putting her at odds with the majority of Democrats in Congress, who believe the conflict’s best solution would be two sovereign states. While representatives are increasingly more supportive of Palestinians, Tlaib’s criticism of the Israeli state tends to go a step further than many of her contemporaries. She has also touted the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to slash money from the Israeli economy, modeled after the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.