U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib criticized her colleagues for hosting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the U.S. this week for a planned address on Wednesday.
“Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” said Tlaib, the lone Palestinian American in Congress. “It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.”
The address comes as Israel’s U.S.-supported attacks on Gaza have resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023, including more than 15,000 children, though a recent study in the journal Lancet estimated the toll could be as high as 186,000.
Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court issued a request for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for three Hamas leaders in Gaza.
In her statement, Tlaib also pointed out that the U.S. has provided more than $141 billion in weapons to Israel, including $17.9 billion since October — despite the reports coming out of Gaza showing attacks on refugee camps and mass graves.
“These are undeniably war crimes under international law,” Tlaib said.
“Make no mistake: this event is a celebration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,” she added. “It is a sad day for our democracy when my colleagues will smile for a photo op with a man who is actively committing genocide. It is hypocritical to claim to be concerned about the massive death toll of innocent civilians, and then turn around and welcome the person responsible for these war crimes to our Capitol. Their silence is betrayal, and history will remember them accordingly. Our government must stop supporting and funding this genocide now.”
On Sunday, President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election due to declining health, though he has promised to spend the remainder of his term on ending the war. The Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, Vice President Harris, has reportedly said that she believes the U.S. should be “tougher” on Netanyahu and show more concern for the Palestinian people.
Tlaib, who has family in Palestine, is also the only member of the progressive “Squad” in Congress to not yet endorse Harris for president. Instead, Tlaib has said she is “eager” to speak to Harris about “an end to the funding of genocide in Gaza.”
