Commentary and Opinion By Donna Westfall – November 10, 2023

FACTS: More than 240 hostages were taken by Hamas in their brutal attacks October 7th against Israel. Four have been released. One has been rescued. On the Israeli side, more than 1,400 killed, mostly civilians including babies, and women raped. Since that date, more than 11,000 Palestinians  have been killed including many in Hamas. It took over 1,000 Hamas members to enter Israel in a surprise attack. Hamas wants Israel destroyed. Israel will defend itself except now they are being pressured by the West to create a cease fire. Instead, starting today, Israel has agreed to a four-hour daily humanitarian pause in the fighting in an effort to try to negotiate the release of the hostages still held by Hamas.

After the attacks, Rep. Rashida Tlaib made some statements that were Pro-Hamas, and Anti Israel. She’s a member of the House of Representatives.

Who is this woman? What does she really represent?

First let’s look at what’s been taking place in Michigan. Detroit back in the 1950’s was one of the five largest cities in America with almost 2 million people. Every decade since, the population has plummeted. Now the population in the 13th district stands at over 750,000. The auto industry was a major industry until the late 1960’s. Then Japanese and European auto manufactures entered the market. Auto makers in Detroit let go of 130,000 jobs and created plants in other areas.

Tlaib, a child of Palestinian immigrants was the eldest of 13 children. I can only imagine that her parents teachings to their children included hatred of Jews and Israel. She’s an attorney and was elected to the House of Representatives representing the 12th and 13th district, parts of Wayne County which includes her birth home, Detroit, as well as Dearborn and other surrounding cities.

She’s a Democrat, a member of Democratic Socialists of America, and supported the impeachment of Trump as well as the only Palestinian American in Congress. Then on November 7, she made a video using the slogan, “from the river to the sea.” The rest of that slogan goes like this,  “Palestine will be free.”

While that may sound innocent enough, it’s the war cry of Hamas for the eradication of Israel.

After my November 2nd article in this publication, the motion to table her censure was not passed. How did this new censure resolution come to be? It was because of her posting on social media using that phrase.

The new resolution, sponsored by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), accused Tlaib of “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” Her use over the weekend of the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea,” which is considered by many to be antisemitic turned the tables.

This time 22 Democrats crossed the aisle and voted for her censure including one Democrat from California: Rep. Jim Costa.

This time only four Republican’s bucked the censure which included two from California: Duarte and McClintock.

The Censure is a condemnation, a formal rebuke. It has NO practical effect on her ability to do her job. I would have thought she would be removed from committees. Sadly, no. But it’s just shy of expulsion.