Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash over incorrect claims on Jerusalem incident
Tlaib, known for her anti-Israel stance, has made multiple controversial statements about Israel, including labeling it an 'apartheid' state that targets Palestinians and asserting that supporting Israel is incompatible with being progressive.
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a progressive "Squad" Democrat, faced criticism on Twitter for falsely claiming that a brawl between Palestinian teenagers in Jerusalem was an act of violence by the "apartheid government of Israel" against Palestinians.
Tlaib, known for her anti-Israel stance, has made multiple controversial statements about Israel, including labeling it an "apartheid" state that targets Palestinians and asserting that supporting Israel is incompatible with being progressive.
Tlaib's latest claim came in response to a tweet from the pro-Palestinian nonprofit, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), which shared a video of a fight that occurred at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem during Ramadan festivities.
The IMEU tweet accused Israel of "apartheid" and claimed that "Israeli soldiers" were attacking "Palestinians celebrating the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in occupied Jerusalem."
Tlaib quoted the IMEU tweet, stating, "This is the violent apartheid government of Israel. Don't look away."
Twitter calling out Rashida Tlaib’s lies is a perfect start to the week. pic.twitter.com/hD7asRYrih
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) March 27, 2023
However, Twitter users corrected Tlaib's claim by highlighting the true nature of the incident: a brawl between Palestinian teenagers.
Twitter also fact-checked the IMEU video, linking to a Jerusalem Post article that provided accurate information about the altercation.
Fox News Digital, which broke the story, reportedly contacted Tlaib's office to inquire if the congresswoman would correct or delete her tweet, but received no response.
Tlaib's post was met with criticism from users, including antisemitism watchdog StopAntisemitism, which applauded Twitter's fact-checking efforts.
IMEU's website accuses the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a "racist right-wing government" and makes several contentious claims against Israel, such as "environmental apartheid" and "ethnic cleansing" targeting Palestinians.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.