Rep. Rashida Tlaib has sparked controversy by issuing a “Happy Chanukah” video that refers to Jews in Palestine as occupiers.
Rashida Tlaib:
Happy early Hanukkah to all of you. Your 2020 platform calling for every public official to commit to defunding the occupation in Falastine and fighting antisemitism and white nationalism is one that I can support very strongly. Please consider me as your partner here in the United States Congress, as well as back home in the 13th District.
WATCH:
She wasn't able to make it in person, but Congresswoman @RepRashida Tlaib sent this wonderful video to the folks at INN Detroit for their Chanukah party. Thanks, Rashida!
Check out the video and check the thread below for a INN Chanukah party near you soon! pic.twitter.com/LsoL1hLidt
— IfNotNowđĽ (@IfNotNowOrg) December 20, 2019
David Allon replied “Does she realise that Chanukah celebrates the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem?”
Does she realise that Chanukah celebrates the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem?
— David Allon ××× ×××× (@david_allon) December 21, 2019
The video sparked a response from the Israel Advocacy Movement, who fired back:
Israel Advocacy Movement Representative:
This is gross. Why canât she just wish us Happy Chanukah? Would she say âHappy Ramadan to all the Muslims fighting the Islamic occupation of Meccaâ or âHappy Christmas to all the Catholics fighting the Catholic occupation of the Vatican?â âNo. Sheâd just say Happy Ramadan or Happy Christmas. Yet here she is hijacking a Jewish festival to attack Jews, and hereâs the irony of it all:
Chanukah actually celebrates Jews fighting off a foreign army that was occupying Judea. Whereâs Judea, you might ask? Well, it made up most of the West Bank and when the Romans conquered Judea from the Jews they renamed it to erase its Jewish roots. Places like Shechem became Neapolis and the wider region, including Judea, became Syria Palestina.
Which leads us back to Rashida.
Itâs most likely Rashida belongs to the Harb tribe from Arabia, hence her maiden name, âHarbi.â When the Islamic armies came from Arabia and conquered Israel they adopted the Roman names. Neapolis became Nablus. Syria Palestina became Falestine.
Did you catch that?
Rashidaâs celebrating Jewish independence in Judea by describing the Jews that live there as occupiers.
If she finds Jews living in the West Bank so offensive, Itâs probably best to skip the Chanukah message.
WATCH:
Rashida Tlaib's insulting Hanukkah message⌠pic.twitter.com/epEZfn7XUV
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) December 22, 2019
This article first appeared on TheConservativeOpinion.comÂ
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