Far-left congresswoman and Squad member Rashida Tlaib introduced a resolution calling Israel's creation a 'catastrophe'



Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic congresswoman from Michigan and member of the Squad, introduced a resolution Monday calling for U.S. recognition of the “Nakba,” a term translating to “catastrophe” commonly used by Palestinian activists to refer to the establishment of the state of Israel.

The resolution, titled “Recognizing the Nakba and Palestinian refugees’ rights,” was submitted a week and a half after Israeli Independence Day, which coincides with the Palestinian Nakba Day, Fox News reported. Tlaib’s resolution calls for the U.S. to “commemorate the Nakba through official recognition and remembrance,” while also claiming that the Nakba “refers not only to a historical event but to an ongoing process of Israel’s expropriation of Palestinian land and its dispossession of the Palestinian people that continues to this day.”

Referring to the year of Israel’s creation, U.N. recognition of Israel’s creation, and ongoing U.S. support of Israel on Twitter, Tlaib said, “The Palestinian people since the 48 Nakba have been living under oppression and violent racism. Silence + blank checks enables more death and violence.”

The resolution claims that Palestinians opposed the U.N.’s 1947 recommendation to partition the region of Palestine into two states, one for Arabs and one for Jews. Tlaib’s resolution states that prior to Israel declaring its independence on May 14, 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes “often after attacks by Zionist militias.” Tlaib’s resolution does not make any reference to attacks by Arab peoples on Jews or historic Jewish communities.

The resolution does not include a single mention of “anti-Semitism,” and its only use of the term “Jewish state” is in reference to a claim that Israel’s formation displaced “at least 750,000 Palestinian refugees.”

The congresswoman’s resolution also characterizes the situation differently than the State Department’s Office of the Historian, which states that after the U.N. resolution, “[f]ighting began with attacks by irregular bands of Palestinian Arabs … against Jewish cities, settlements and armed forces.”

Tlaib is a daughter of Palestinian immigrants and submitted the resolution on behalf of herself and her peers in the left-wing Squad, which commonly takes anti-Israel policy stances. In total, the resolution was submitted on behalf of Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Marie Newman, and Betty McCollum.

Tlaib has a history of making anti-Semitic comments, having previously accused lawmakers who support Israel of having dual loyalty, and has very deep ties to anti-Semitic organizations through groups funding and supporting her during her congressional campaigns.

Top Israeli leader fires back at 'shameful' Ben & Jerry's announcement, calls on US to enforce anti-BDS laws



Yair Lapid, Israel's foreign minister and alternative prime minister, demanded Monday that American states enforce anti-BDS laws against ice cream company Ben & Jerry's.

What is the background?

Ben & Jerry's is most well-known for ice cream flavors like "Phish Food," "Cherry Garcia," "Chunky Monkey," "Chocolate Fudge Brownie," among others. What consumers may not know about the company, however, is that its owners are notorious liberals along the ideological lines of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

So on Monday, the company bowed to anti-Israel activists and announced its ice cream would no longer be sold in the "Occupied Palestinian Territory."

"We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the company said, referring to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Ironically, Ben & Jerry's refused to take a completely principled stance, admitting in the very same statement they will continue to take money from happy Israeli costumers — those they believe support the alleged illegal occupation of Palestinian territories — but through "a different arrangement."

What did Lapid say?

Lapid vowed Israel would not be silent after Ben & Jerry's announcement, which Lapid called a "shameful surrender to antisemitism."

"Ben & Jerry's decision represents shameful surrender to antisemitism, to BDS and to all that is wrong with the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish discourse," Lapid said. "We will not be silent."

The top Israeli leader added that U.S. states with laws opposing the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions movement — which seeks to destroy Israel — should enforce those laws in the wake of Ben & Jerry's announcement.

"Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry's," Lapid said. "They will not treat the State of Israel like this without a response."

What about anti-BDS laws?

To date, 35 states have passed laws or adopted executive orders considered "anti-BDS."

Lawyer Timothy Cuffman explained the nature of the laws:

Though the specific provisions of anti-BDS laws vary widely, they have taken two primary forms: (1) contract-focused laws that condition the receipt of government contracts on an entity certifying that it is not boycotting and will not boycott Israel; and (2) investment-focused laws that mandate public investment funds to divest from entities involved in boycotts of Israel.

Congress has introduced anti-BDS legislation — like the Israel Anti-Boycott Act and Combating BDS Act — but neither bill became law despite both passing in the respective chamber where they were introduced.

Most opponents of anti-BDS legislation claim such laws violate the First Amendment.