The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning the chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic, Fox News reported.
This resolution, spearheaded by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) and supported by the House GOP, garnered an overwhelming vote of 377 to 44. 43 Democrats and one Republican dissented from the majority stance.
Among those opposing the resolution were members of the Progressive Democrats, the “Squad,” including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Also included were Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, and House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal.
In an unexpected turn, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, joined the dissenting ranks.
This resolution forms part of a series of 17 measures set forth by House Republican leaders for voting this week. These measures aim to reaffirm support for Israel and denounce Iran, particularly in the wake of recent air strikes launched by Iran over the weekend.
Tlaib, in defense of the controversial phrase, has previously argued that “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”
However, this interpretation drew sharp criticism from fellow Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who directly addressed Tlaib, asserting, “This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period. Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that.”
Tlaib’s past employment of this phrase led to her censure in November, particularly due to her confrontational rhetoric towards Israel.
Later, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre publicly condemned Tlaib for her use of the phrase, further emphasizing the contentious nature of the issue.
Source: {Matzav.com}
