The US House of Representatives censured a congresswoman for defending the elimination of the State of Israel

The House of Representatives of the United States approved this Tuesday a censorship resolution against Rashida Tlaibthe first congresswoman of Palestinian origin, for her statements on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The initiativedriven by Republican Partyhad the support of 2. 3. 4 legislatorsamong them 22 democratswhile 188 voted against.

The resolution accuses Tlaib of “spread falsehoods about him Hamas October 7 attack and advocate for elimination of the State of Israel”.

Tlaib, who belongs to the most democratic party progressivedefended his position during the debate and asked the Congress that takes into account the suffering of the Palestinian people.

“For me, the cries of Israeli children and the palestinian children “They sound the same,” said the congresswoman and reiterated that her critics have always been directed to Government of Israel and not to their citizens.

“It is important to differentiate between the people and the government,” Tlaib declared. “The idea that criticizing the Israeli government is anti-Semitic sets a very dangerous precedent. And it has been used to silence diverse voices advocating for human rights across our nation,” he added.

The congresswoman, serving her third term, has come under prolonged criticism for her stances on the conflict in the Middle East.

The resolution, which has no legal effects but it serves as a public reprimandwas presented by Republican Congressman Rich McCormickwho represents the second such proposal against Tlaib for her political position.

Several Democratic leaders of the Lower House, as the head of the minority Hakeem Jeffries or the president of Jerrold Nadler Judiciary Committeejoined the republican criticism against Tlaib.

Initially, all Democrats supported Tlaib and helped defeat the first censure resolution against her last week. But since then, many of his colleagues, including prominent Jewish members, have become more conflicted about his rhetoric about the war, especially because of a slogan he has used frequently that is widely seen as a call for the eradication of Israel. .

The controversy arises from a video in which the legislator participated, addressed to the American president, Joe Bidenwho is accused of supporting a “genocide against the Palestinians and is warned that he will lose the electoral support of the Arab community in the United States.

The video shows images of demonstrations with slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which the majority political current in the United States interprets as a motto that calls for destruction of the State of Israel.

“It is nothing more and nothing less than a call for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews,” said Jewish Democrat Brad Schneider. “I will always defend the right to freedom of expression. “Tlaib has the right to say whatever he wants.”

“But it cannot go unanswered,” he added.

With the vote, Tlaib becomes the second muslim-american woman in Congress to be formally reprimanded this year for her criticism of the Jewish state. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was removed in February from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for similar comments she made about Israel.

“This resolution not only degrades our Constitution, but it cheapens what discipline in this body means for people who actually commit wrongdoing like bribery, fraud, violent assault and so on,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, who defended Tlaib against the resolution.

(With information from EFE and The Associated Press)