Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Monday addressed criticisms about the group that was going to sponsor her trip to Israel.
During a press conference with Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a reporter asked Tlaib about Miftah, which works to highlight the plight of Palestinians. The organization has a history of praising female suicide bombers and promoting anti-Semitic doctrines, and has accused Jewish people of using “the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover.”
“Our colleagues that are senior members, some of them have served multiple terms, actually told us about the organization,” she said. “We are not the one who chose the organization. A U.S.-based organization chose it. But I was told that there were five members of Congress that went on a trip that was sponsored by the same organization. So we’re also taken aback and learn from everybody else that there were some issues regarding it.”
“Again, especially Ilhan Omar and I, are extremely careful in vetting,” Tlaib continued. “There is a close eye in policing of our actions. That is so much more weighted on us than any other members. So we are very careful. When members from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, that she and I are extremely active in, have gone to a similar trip on a similar agenda. We’re as taken aback as you that people are now questioning that. I think these are just distractions into the fact that this had nothing to do, really, with the agenda or these other issues because members of Congress have gone.”
As Tlaib pointed out, five Democratic members of Congress — Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, Dan Kildee of Michigan, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois, and Hank Johnson of Georgia — went on a trip to “Palestine – Jerusalem – Ramallah,” which was also sponsored by Miftah, according to Politico.
