Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is as indignant as she is ignorant.
“Racist idiots” are attacking her for claiming falsely that Palestinians offered a “safe haven” to Jews following the Holocaust, the representative claimed Monday evening in a conversation with “Late Night” host and unofficial Democratic spokesman Seth Meyers, joking that she will speak like a fourth grader from now on so they can better follow along.
“[W]hat’s incredible, you know, the tragedy of the Holocaust, I mean, the reason why Israel was created was to create a safe haven for Jews around the world. And there is something, in many ways, beautiful about that my ancestors, many had died or had to give up their livelihood, their human dignity to provide a safe haven for Jews in our world,” the representative said. “And that is something I wanted to recognize and kind of honor in some sort of way.”
Tlaib added in reference specifically to her critics, “And you know, for me, I wanted to uplift that and bring that to light. And it was unfortunate you know, I got a text message from a friend who’s like, ‘Hey, next time, you know, really clarify. Maybe talk like a fourth grader. Because maybe the racist idiots would understand you better.’”
This is not a clarification from her, by the way. She is merely repeating her original nonsense claim about Palestine offering a “safe haven” for Jews. Tlaib just reshuffled her words a bit.
For context, this is what the congresswoman said originally in an interview on Yahoo News’s “Skullduggery” podcast:
And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them.
Basically, nothing she said here is accurate, as my Washington Examiner colleague Philip Klein explains in detail.
Tlaib ignores the “Jewish presence in the region and efforts to establish a Jewish state that predated the Holocaust, ignores that [Tlaib’s] ancestors allied with Hitler at the time of the Holocaust, and ignores decades of violence and terrorism directed at Israel both before, during, and after the Holocaust,” he writes.
Klein adds, “It should be noted that she was making this claim in the context of arguing for a one-state solution, the goal of which has always been for Arabs to overwhelm the Jewish population, and then force them as a minority to be governed by the people who are currently launching rockets at them.”
Professor Benny Morris, whose area of expertise is in the history of British Mandatory Palestine and the creation of the State of Israel, said elsewhere in remarks to Haaretz that, “Rashida Tlaib is either completely ignorant of the history or is a deliberate liar.” Palestinian historian Dr. Adel Manna also “expressed bewilderment” when asked about the “safe haven” reference, replying with a simple, “I don’t know what she meant.”
But remember: You are the “racist idiot” for taking offense.
