Democratic House Rep Rashida Tlaib has spoken out after controversy erupted over the Palestinian flag that sits outside of her office. Reports say that the flag has been in the same position since January. Critics say that the display of the flag is in support of HAMAS, the Democratically-elected Government of Gaza which recently launched an offensive against the state of Israel. A video has gone viral of a journalist following Tlaib on The Hill while asking her if she supports the brutal actions of HAMAS. Tlaib refused to stop and engage with the journalist which, of course, led to speculation about her feelings toward the conflict.
Tlaib responded to the criticism of the flag by saying she condemns violence on both sides of the war. She also said that the continued occupation and “apartheid” state that Palestine is under leads to violence. Tlaib did not, however, mention HAMAS by name.
An important detail to note here is that Rashida Tlaib is a first-generation immigrant with parents from the West Bank, which is Palestine. She could easily explain the situation by saying she is ethnically Palestinian. This may not be an acceptable excuse to some critics. A simple solution to the flag problem is banning all other nation’s flags on The Hill aside from American flags. State flags, the United States flag, and US military flags should only be flown.
SOURCES:
NEW: Tlaib responds to critics regarding her stance on violence in Israel and Gaza ⋆ Michigan Advance
Omar and Tlaib Are Condemned in the US for Saying What Prominent Israelis Are Saying | The Nation
Rashida Tlaib, facing censure motion, calls Hamas actions ‘war crimes’
Rep. Rashida Tlaib facing censure over response to Hamas attack on Israel – CBS Detroit
Progressives face backlash over response to Israel attacks | The Hill
