Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib suggested people should boycott Bill Maher’s HBO show, a day after the comedian criticized Democrats who are in favor of boycotting Israel.
The liberal HBO host argued that the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, which seeks to penalize Israel for their treatment of Palestinians, “is a bullshit purity test by people who want to appear woke but actually slept through history class.”
Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent and a supporter of the movement, responded to Maher by tweeting, “Maybe folks should boycott his show. I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom. This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn’t work then and it won’t now.”
Maybe folks should boycott his show.
I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom. This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn’t work then and it won’t now. https://t.co/Oa49ZVfrVN
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 17, 2019
Maher’s comments came days after the Israeli government announced that Tlaib and Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota would not be allowed to enter the country, citing a law that allows the country to forbid people who have supported calls to boycott Israel, as they have done.
Tlaib was granted permission to visit her grandmother on a “humanitarian request” after she promised not to “promote boycotts against Israel,” but still decided not to go.
