Topline
Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) faced blowback on Wednesday after blaming Israel for bombing a hospital in Gaza, an allegation leveled by Palestinian officials and disputed by Israel—as U.S. intelligence officials say the hospital was likely hit by a misfired missile from a militant group.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) listens as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) speaks during a news conference about … [+]
Key Facts
Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, tweeted “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians” around 2 p.m. Tuesday, while blaming the Biden Administration for failing to “facilitate a ceasefire and help de-escalate.”
Omar also called for a ceasefire in a tweet Tuesday afternoon that said “the IDF reportedly blowing up” the hospital is “horrific.”
The allegations—initially made by the Palestinian Health Ministry and shared widely by news outlets like the Associated Press and Forbes—were later disputed by Israeli officials, who claimed the explosion at the Gaza hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
President Joe Biden and the Senate Intelligence Committee backed up Israel’s account on Wednesday, citing Defense Department data that showed the explosion was likely the result of a misfired rocket launch rather than an Israeli airstrike.
Tlaib and Omar had not deleted the tweets as of Wednesday afternoon, prompting criticism from fellow lawmakers, including Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who asked them to remove the tweets in his own post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who said during a Senate hearing Wednesday Tlaib’s tweet “reads like false statements that we’ve seen from Hamas and other groups that want to foment hate and death in the region.”
Tlaib also broke down in tears while lamenting the hospital explosion during a pro-Palestinian protest on Capitol Hill Wednesday calling for a ceasefire, though she did not repeat her claims that Israel was responsible, nor did she recant them.
Key Background
The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas fighters entered Israel, killing over 1,400 people and taking nearly 200 hostages, prompting a heavy Israeli bombardment of Gaza that led to over 3,400 deaths in the territory, according to the Associated Press. The war has exposed divisions among Democrats regarding the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Tlaib and Omar are among a coalition of 13 progressives who sponsored a resolution calling for a ceasefire, an idea that has angered some of the most pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, including Reps. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). Tlaib was also widely rebuked for suggesting in the wake of Hamas’ attack that Israel’s “apartheid” government (referencing its occupation of Palestinian territories) led to a “resistance” movement—though she also said “I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost.” Omar in particular has faced repeated criticism for her controversial statements about Israel, including a 2019 tweet suggesting the U.S. alliance with Israel is “all about the Benjamins,” a comment criticized by some as an antisemitic trope that led to her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this year. Tlaib faced bipartisan condemnation for saying in 2019 that remembering the Holocaust and the sacrifice Palestians made to create a safe haven for Jews in Israel gave her a “calming feeling,” remarks Israel’s UN ambassador called “grossly antisemitic and ignorant.” Tlaib argued her comments were taken out of context.
What To Watch For
Biden announced Wednesday the U.S. would send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, declaring “the vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas.” Biden also said Wednesday he would ask Congress to approve an “unprecedented” aid package to aid Israel. Mainstream Democrats, including the Biden Administration, have firmly stood behind Israel amid its war with Hamas, though Biden on Wednesday said he urged the Israeli government during his visit to Tel Aviv this week to take a measured approach to counterattacks.
Tangent
Capitol Police made multiple arrests at Wednesday’s protest organized by two Jewish American groups advocating for Palestinians, the Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, after demonstrations broke out in the Cannon Rotunda.
Further Reading
Biden Backs Israel’s Claim It Did Not Strike Gaza Hospital—After Palestinian Officials Blamed Israeli Airstrike For Killing Hundreds (Forbes)
Israel Orders 1.1 Million Gaza Residents To Relocate Within 24 Hours, UN Says It’s ‘Impossible’ (Forbes)
Biden Tells Netanyahu Gaza Hospital Explosion Appears To Have Been Done By ‘The Other Team’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/10/18/progressive-reps-tlaib-omar-criticized-for-blaming-israel-for-gaza-hospital-explosion/