Controversial Anti-Israel US Muslim Congresswoman Holds Up "War Criminal" Sign During Netanyahu's Speech In Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday (24 July) sparked controversy and division among lawmakers and US citizens.

Representative Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American Muslim member of Congress, held up a sign labelling Netanyahu a "war criminal" and "guilty of genocide" during his speech.

Tlaib, a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, was joined by Hani Almadhoun, a Palestinian who has lost many family members in the ongoing conflict that started after Hamas terror attack on the Jewish state in October last year.

Almadhoun, Tlaib's invited guest, reportedly lost more than 150 members of his extended family since Israel launched its war with the aim of destroying Hamas.

Outside the US Capitol building which houses the Congress, thousands protested Netanyahu's visit, with police resorting to pepper spray to control the crowd.

Six protesters were arrested inside the House of Representatives prior to Netanyahu's address.

While some lawmakers gave Netanyahu a standing ovation, others opted to abstain from attending.

This is not the first time that Tlaib has voiced her anti-Israel stance.

The vote concluded with a count of 234 in favour to 188 against, following a notable instance where 22 Democrats aligned with Republicans to censure Tlaib, a punishment that is considered just short of being expelled from the House.

The vote followed Tlaib’s accusation that US President Joe Biden was supporting a “genocide” of Palestinians due to his backing for the Israeli offensive against the Hamas terror group.

Tlaib stood by her use of the phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a slogan frequently heard at pro-Palestinian demonstrations and widely interpreted as a call for the elimination of the State of Israel.

She claimed that the phrase was “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”

According to the US Jewish advocacy group Anti-Defamation League, the slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is characterised as an antisemitic rallying cry.

The group notes that it has historically been used by "anti-Israel voices, including supporters of terrorist organizations such as Hamas".

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