Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) leaves after a caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on January 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
In Response to Condescending 'Listen and Learn' Comment, Tlaib Invites Fellow Democrat to Meet Her Grandmother in Occupied West Bank
"I don't think AIPAC provides a real, fair lens into this issue...They don't show the side that I know is real, which is what's happening to my grandmother and what's happening to my family there."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) late Wednesday night responded to the condescension and criticism by one of her Democratic colleagues regarding her planned trip to the occupied Palestinian Territories by politely suggesting Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)--as well as any other House members-- consider joining her or taking similar trips to broaden their understanding of Palestinians' lived experiences instead of aligning, year after year, with the right-wing perspective of AIPAC lobbyists.
Tlaib is planning to lead a delegation to Palestine after declining to join the other freshman members of Congress on a trip to Israel this summer. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) organized the visit for the freshmen lawmakers as it has in past years, but Tlaib rejected the offer, citing the one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that AIPAC has provided to Congress for decades.
"I don't think AIPAC provides a real, fair lens into this issue. It's one-sided...[They] have these lavish trips to Israel, but they don't show the side that I know is real, which is what's happening to my grandmother and what's happening to my family there," Tlaib told The Intercept in December.
In response to Tlaib's decision, Engel, who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee,expressed his disapproval to Al-Monitor on Tuesday, suggesting that Tlaib is unfamiliar with the realities of the conflict despite her deep personal connection to the region.
"Instead of her talking about things, she's new here, she ought to listen and learn and open her mind and then come to some conclusions," Engel said.
While Tlaib is new to the largely pro-Israel U.S. Congress, given that her family is from Palestine and she still has family members living there, she is hardly unfamiliar with the undrinkable water, food shortages, and decimated healthcare system Palestinians endure in the world's largest open-air prison of Gaza or the everyday repression suffered by those in the occupied West Bank.
It's "awfully patronizing to tell a Palestinian-American woman she needs to 'listen and learn' about the conflict before speaking up," Jack Crosbie wrote at Splinter.
Tlaib responded to Engel's remarks on Thursday, inviting him to "listen and learn" about Palestinians' experiences of the conflict by joining her on the trip to the West Bank.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) late Wednesday night responded to the condescension and criticism by one of her Democratic colleagues regarding her planned trip to the occupied Palestinian Territories by politely suggesting Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)--as well as any other House members-- consider joining her or taking similar trips to broaden their understanding of Palestinians' lived experiences instead of aligning, year after year, with the right-wing perspective of AIPAC lobbyists.
Tlaib is planning to lead a delegation to Palestine after declining to join the other freshman members of Congress on a trip to Israel this summer. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) organized the visit for the freshmen lawmakers as it has in past years, but Tlaib rejected the offer, citing the one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that AIPAC has provided to Congress for decades.
"I don't think AIPAC provides a real, fair lens into this issue. It's one-sided...[They] have these lavish trips to Israel, but they don't show the side that I know is real, which is what's happening to my grandmother and what's happening to my family there," Tlaib told The Intercept in December.
In response to Tlaib's decision, Engel, who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee,expressed his disapproval to Al-Monitor on Tuesday, suggesting that Tlaib is unfamiliar with the realities of the conflict despite her deep personal connection to the region.
"Instead of her talking about things, she's new here, she ought to listen and learn and open her mind and then come to some conclusions," Engel said.
While Tlaib is new to the largely pro-Israel U.S. Congress, given that her family is from Palestine and she still has family members living there, she is hardly unfamiliar with the undrinkable water, food shortages, and decimated healthcare system Palestinians endure in the world's largest open-air prison of Gaza or the everyday repression suffered by those in the occupied West Bank.
It's "awfully patronizing to tell a Palestinian-American woman she needs to 'listen and learn' about the conflict before speaking up," Jack Crosbie wrote at Splinter.
Tlaib responded to Engel's remarks on Thursday, inviting him to "listen and learn" about Palestinians' experiences of the conflict by joining her on the trip to the West Bank.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) late Wednesday night responded to the condescension and criticism by one of her Democratic colleagues regarding her planned trip to the occupied Palestinian Territories by politely suggesting Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)--as well as any other House members-- consider joining her or taking similar trips to broaden their understanding of Palestinians' lived experiences instead of aligning, year after year, with the right-wing perspective of AIPAC lobbyists.
Tlaib is planning to lead a delegation to Palestine after declining to join the other freshman members of Congress on a trip to Israel this summer. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) organized the visit for the freshmen lawmakers as it has in past years, but Tlaib rejected the offer, citing the one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that AIPAC has provided to Congress for decades.
"I don't think AIPAC provides a real, fair lens into this issue. It's one-sided...[They] have these lavish trips to Israel, but they don't show the side that I know is real, which is what's happening to my grandmother and what's happening to my family there," Tlaib told The Intercept in December.
In response to Tlaib's decision, Engel, who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee,expressed his disapproval to Al-Monitor on Tuesday, suggesting that Tlaib is unfamiliar with the realities of the conflict despite her deep personal connection to the region.
"Instead of her talking about things, she's new here, she ought to listen and learn and open her mind and then come to some conclusions," Engel said.
While Tlaib is new to the largely pro-Israel U.S. Congress, given that her family is from Palestine and she still has family members living there, she is hardly unfamiliar with the undrinkable water, food shortages, and decimated healthcare system Palestinians endure in the world's largest open-air prison of Gaza or the everyday repression suffered by those in the occupied West Bank.
It's "awfully patronizing to tell a Palestinian-American woman she needs to 'listen and learn' about the conflict before speaking up," Jack Crosbie wrote at Splinter.
Tlaib responded to Engel's remarks on Thursday, inviting him to "listen and learn" about Palestinians' experiences of the conflict by joining her on the trip to the West Bank.