Wasserman Schultz: Tlaib's progressive litmus test on Israel 'nothing short of antisemitic'

[867-5309.]

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-NY) slammed Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for saying one cannot support Israel and be progressive.

During an online event on Tuesday, Tlaib said, “I want you all to know that among progressives, it becomes clear that you cannot claim to hold progressive values, yet back Israel’s apartheid government.”

“We will continue to push back and not accept this idea that you are progressive, except for ‘Philistine’, any longer,” she added.

Wasserman Schultz did not mince words in responding to Tlaib.

“The outrageous progressive litmus test on Israel by @RashidaTlaib is nothing short of antisemitic. Proud progressives do support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. Suggesting otherwise is shameful and dangerous. Divisive rhetoric does not lead to peace,” she tweeted....

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/nothing-short-of-antisemitic-former-democratic-national-committee-chairwoman-joins-nadler-in-condemning-rashida-tlaib/

I object to Tlaib's comment but the antisemitic accusation is over the top as well.

[tritsofme]

1. It is absolutely anti-Semitic tripe, and I am proud that Wasserman Schultz

is standing up to Tlaib’s ugly and disgusting bigotry.

[jimfields33]

4. I agree.

Her hated for Israel is evident.

[arthritisR_US]

87. No it's not. Her disgust and revulsion in hypocrisy and

how the rest of the world sees what the Israelis do to Palestinians, which given their experience they would not want to perpetuate on another, but yet that’s exactly what they are doing.

[Raine]

36. Agree too. nt

[markpkessinger]

102. Sorry, no.

Israel IS an apartheid state! Look, I believe in Israel's right to exist. But when you have a country that has an entire system of highways that only Israeli's, and not Palestinians, are permitted to use, that is an example of apartheid!

One can support Israel's right to exist and still criticize some of her actions and policies!

[leftstreet]

2. Why does Schultz care, she isn't a progressive

Why does she care what "litmus tests" progressives do or don't have?

[LeftInTX]

7. She's Jewish. Many of her constituents are Jewish

There are fine lines between what is constructive critcism of Israel and rhetoric which isn't

We don't need to pit Arsb Democrats against Jewish Democrats

Israel's right to exist has long been supported by the Democratic Party

[leftstreet]

16. Most voters have never heard of Tlaib

Can't think why Schultz would rocket this into the mainstream...

[LeftInTX]

19. Yes they have

The squad is MSM

[Hekate]

93. Seriously? To call Israel "Nazi" is wholly inappropriate, arthritisR_US

[JohnSJ]

20. Schultz is progressive. Look at her voting record

[leftstreet]

22. Is she a member of the Progressive Caucus?

That's where she directed her remarks

[JohnSJ]

24. You don't have to be part of the progressive caucus to be progressive, and the OP sure didn't make

that distinction

but hey, this kind of thing is just what we need before the midterms

Then again looking at a good number of self-identified progressives in 2016 who refused to vote for the Democratic nominee.......

[Demsrule86]

43. It shouldn't have been said period. Tlaib does get to decide who is progressive and it seems

anti-semitic to me.

[2naSalit]

3. What if she's correct?

Doesn't sound like a litmus test to me, more like a logical statement.

[Celerity]

15. +1

[dembotoz]

26. oldest? hell i am almost older than Israel

[Beastly Boy]

23. Sounds more like an insult than antisemitism..

Tlaib doesn't get to define my progressivism with her narrow preconceptions. No one does.

[onenote]

60. So, "logically," do you think the following members of the progressive caucus aren't progressives?

Andy Levin
Shontel Brown
Hakeem Jeffries
Richie Torres
Andy Kim
Carolyn Maloney

All members of the Progressive Caucus. All amongst the top 13 recipients of support from AIPAC.

[mountain grammy]

79. Yes, it's not a litmus test at all

As a Jew, I am not offended by what she said because what if she is correct? This should be discussed openly and honestly.

[Tetrachloride]

5. There are tens of millions of people who deserve a voice

in giving their opinion on the situation who live in the disputed territories or rather near. Some are dead, either due to violence, age, malnutrition, lack of medicine or depression. The living will have to speak for the dead.

I believe these people’s opinions are not to be brushed aside.

Tweets and press releases are brief. Some are useful.

But I would like the people of the region to be given a microphone.

Similarly, the women of Iran are standing up.

One more thing: I am a resident of the broader region for 2 years now.

[Deminpenn]

6. Unquestioning loyalty from the US to Israel isn't good policy

either. The Israeli government always puts Israel's national interest first regardless even if that conflicts with US national interest. Our own US national interest is what should dictate our relationship with Israel. Most of the time our interests will be mutual, but not always.

[Celerity]

12. +1

[Voltaire2]

40. This.

[gratuitous]

8. Is Rep. Tlaib questioning Israel's right to exist?

Or is she questioning something else, but Rep. Wasserman Schultz has found it convenient to claim that it's the right to existence thing? Or does any questioning or criticism of the Israeli government's actions or policies automatically become questioning Israel's right to exist?

[LeftInTX]

14. Probably something has been simmering for some time

Just my opinion

Schultz has been in congress longer and she' probably grapples with Israel herself. She is probably frustrated with Tlaib at times.

[gratuitous]

21. It sounds like a country where only certain people are allowed to have rights

That's problematical, isn't it? When 14 million inhabitants/residents/citizens are denied representation and a voice in the country's government while 9.5 million other inhabitants/residents/citizens decide things for everyone else, that's not really a democracy.

[gratuitous]

30. Didn't the Palestinians ever have their own country?

Why do they want a country where Israel just happens to be?

[Voltaire2]

41. Seriously?

[Hekate]

72. Oh dear

[obamanut2012]

84. I really hope you are being sarcastic

If not... wow.

[alphafemale]

85. Yes, in Palestine.

Which was just where....I'll let you guess.

[JohnSJ]

28. She has made it clear she doesn't support a two state solution, and that has been the position of

the United States, and the Democratic party.

The Democratic party is the party that stands for Women's rights, workers rights, environmental rights, Civil Rights, etc. etc. Those are progressive values

[Demsrule86]

47. That would destroy Israel...I would also like to point out the their Arab neighbors treat them

badly.

[Marius25]

45. She has re-tweeted comments in the past supporting

Israel's destruction. So yes, I do believe she opposes Israel's right to exist.

[Meowmee]

90. This was

In Nov 2020- she retweeted a tweet by Rasha @rashaMK which included: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and then she scrubbed it after complaints. The well known battle call for the the destruction of Israel. Used by PLO, Hamas and others.

It is pretty obvious what she is all about. And it does not appear to be a peaceful resolution of anything. She is not someone who should be in congress imo.

[Silent3]

9. There's good and bad in the Israeli government

The good is mainly that, for all of Israel's flaws, it has the best, most stable democracy in the Middle East.

Which is not, of course, necessarily high praise.

They have be wretched to the Palestinians, however, especially when their right wing is in charge. There's nothing antisemitic in recognizing that. We should always be pushing Israel to do better there.

[brush]

10. Cooler heads need to prevail. A little deeper knowledge...

of the factions in Israeli politics is also needed. Everyone there is not pro-apartheid. There was call just today for a two-state solution. There has to be an understanding that the entire demographic of Israel is not pro- apartheid and that there are forces inside the nation who can be worked with to end the reign of the Netayahus and such.

Of course progressives are anti-apartheid, I would expect no less, but so are just about 100 percent of Democrats. And I would include Wasserman Schultz in that grouping.

Let's stop with the over-the-top, blanket pronouncements that there is no one in Israel we can support to help end apartheid there.

[Haggard Celine]

11. Some people insist that any criticism of Israel is

automatically antisemitic. We should support Israel as we do our other allies, but we don't have to condone all that the state of Israel does. It's a fine line to walk, and sometimes I think Tlaib crosses it.

[Celerity]

13. True.

Some people insist that any criticism of Israel is automatically antisemitic.

[JohnSJ]

31. and we don't condone everything that Israel does. For example, President Biden has voiced

opposition to settlement exansion by Israel in the West bank, and Department of State spokesperson, Ned Prince said that we unambiguously rejected Israel's recent push to build more settlements in the West Bank, and efforts to retroactively legalize settlement outposts in the Palestinian territories

[Marius25]

48. That's because it usually is.

Most people don't understand why their Anti-Israel rhetoric becomes Antisemitic.

[maxsolomon]

18. I'm Progressive AF, think Israel has a right to exist,

not an Anti-Semite (I don't think I am), yet I don't support Likud's Apartheid policies. At all.

[brooklynite]

32. Likud doesn't run the Government.

[maxsolomon]

34. Not currently

but good point

[Tetrachloride]

33. 44 million people in the Levant

add 30 million at least if northern Egypt is included

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levant

wiki of the Levant

wiki. apartheid analogy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_and_apartheid

or we can go directly to the dead body videos

A lot of ignored people

[Marius25]

49. I don't see you being concerned about the dozens of Israelis

that were recently murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

[Tetrachloride]

52. There are a lot of deaths. thousands dead

by violence. Each deserves its day in court.

if you or any DU member would like to join in my one man social work life, buy an airplane ticket.

I do what i can to keep a few people alive here in a time zone distant from most of the DU and rather close to the Levant.

[Marius25]

54. Only one side has been actively trying to exterminate the other side

for the past century, and it's not the Jews.

[Tetrachloride]

56. As I said, each death or injury by violence

deserves a hearing by law. Lets say for the past 76 years.

I consider myself tolerably skilled at math. I was hired as a math tutor by my university.

In the actuarial sciences, climatology, social work, medical sciences and foreign countries, an open mind is essential before jumping to conclusions.

I don’t support the math implied by your previous statement.

[Bettie]

59. The difference in death tolls tells a story

[Bettie]

69. Right...so, any death toll is fine

as long as the Palestinians are the ones dying. I get it. It's been the policy for my entire life.

[Marius25]

70. When did I ever say that?

Stop making assumptions. This conflict started long before Israel even existed as a modern State.

[tritsofme]

99. But not the whole story. As a matter of course, Hamas uses women, children, and other civilians as

human shields, launching attacks from highly populated or sensitive areas, making it impossible for Israel to defend itself without exposing civilians to danger.

Dead Palestinians are a PR coup for Hamas, and they work to maximize them.

[Behind the Aegis]

35. It is anti-Semitic.

The only people who are asked about their support of Israel are Jews. When Jews go to meetings or events that have NOTHING to do with I/P, there are instances where they are asked, essentially, "Are you now, or have you ever been a Zionist?" That is anti-Semitism. If it were a general question or all participants, then, no, it wouldn't be anti-Semitic. Of course, it isn't surprising people are defending her bullshit....again!

If I attend a function about climate change, and things we can do in the US to combat it, my thoughts on Israel, the I/P situation, and/or Zionism are immaterial. If I attend a GLBT Pride event, and I choose to identify as Jewish, such as a Star of David in rainbow colors, I shouldn't be asked to remove my shirt or leave the event because "someone might be offended, and it is a symbol of oppression."

But then again, we see the fucking double standards when it comes to Jews as a minority because with just about any other group, an outsider, much less THRONGS of other non-minority members, wouldn't get to decide what is and isn't bigotry for that group and if a non-member of said minority tried to "explain" why something was or wasn't bigoted, other people would shout them down for "'splainin'", but not when it comes to Jews, then non-Jews, are not only allowed, but encouraged, to talk down or dismiss the concerns of Jews.

[JustAnotherGen]

38. This

And I will remain a pragmatic Democratic Party member.

She can get back to me when she clearly denounces the Iranian government for their oppression of women.

[Solly Mack]

58. Excellent points all.

Thank you.

[Meowmee]

63. Agree

I will never forget some members the woman’s movement march leaders, I may have the wrong name of the movement here, inviting LF to spew his as hatred at one of their events during the dump reign of terror.

[emulatorloo]

64. Thank you.

[Cha]

80. Mahalo, Behind the Aegis!

[JohnSJ]

37. Was Representative Tlaib progressive when she led the booing aginst Hillary in 2016, at a rally for

an oppossing candidate?

In a similar way, not particularly a good strategy 2 months before the midterms

It is a divisive strategy which doesn't help us in the midterms

[betsuni]

50. +1

[mcar]

68. This!

[Hekate]

73. Well spotted

[Hekate]

95. I see there's been no real rebuttal to this

Which I still think was well spotted by you

[betsuni]

96. Wasn't the only time she booed Hillary, either.

[Hekate]

97. Maybe we should remember that the next time she calls out Jewish Democrats

Not that any person or nation is above criticism — just that there’s a time and a place for everything, and Tlaib doesn’t seem to have a sense for that. I remember in her early days thinking “she’ll learn,” but she doesn’t seem to have done so after all these Trump years. Which could make her more of a liability than anything else.

jmho

[betsuni]

98. That's the thing, you think they'll learn.

I partially blame the dependence on Justice Democrats Super PAC. I have hope that John Fetterman, even though he's a Justice Democrats candidate, will use their resources to get elected and then not feel beholden to their ideology, be independent.

[Hekate]

100. Hmm. As Molly Ivins said, "You got to dance with them what brung you," so we'll see how he does.

[betsuni]

101. Yes, but so far he hasn't bashed Democrats the way Justice Democrats do and cling to

More Progressive Than Thou purity test slogans. Still have hope!

[Marius25]

42. As a Jew, no it isn't.

"I object to Tlaib's comment but the antisemitic accusation is over the top as well."

Most Anti-Israel rhetoric is based on Antisemitism. It's a lie to claim it isn't.

[Meowmee]

46. Agree completely

[lees1975]

44. I'm a progressive and I think Israel has a right to exist

though there are a lot of things the Israeli government does that I don't like. And I think we should be a lot more discriminating in the aid we pour into the country.

But, I'd tell both Representatives that what they think won't matter at all if Republicans come out of the mid-terms with a majority in either house and they need to take that into consideration before speaking out.

[Hortensis]

51. Religious minority groups are being persecuted and murdered in EVERY ME state,

Last edited Fri Sep 23, 2022, 06:06 PM - Edit history (2)

even Jordan, to the point that whole populations have been severely declining and many are approaching extinction in their countries. This is going on DAILY.

We're talking targeted murders and "ethnic cleansings," official genocides, imprisonments and "disappearings," displacements off their land by the hundreds of thousands, theft of water rights, torture, rape, etc, etc. This is happening in ALL nations except Israel against a long list of minority groups, but most numerously against ME Christians, who used to be far more numerous (Jesus was Palestinian, Jews were there at least 1000 years before Christ, and Christian Palestinians were there 600 years before Islam was founded). The many giant camps for displaced persons are filled with people originally from Muslim nations, not Israel.

And where are Tlaib and her sort on these horrific atrocities occurring every day? Their admirers should be able to answer. At least Tlaib is Muslim Palestinian in background, unlike others who ignore them to focus on the Jewish state.

What comes next is NOT an endorsement of the policies of Israel's RW-dominated government regarding the occupied territories and the Muslim Palestinians who reside there.

BUT, the Palestinian populations have been growing all along in the Israeli-occupied territories, even exploding. There are now over 5 million there, plus another couple million who've moved elsewhere. (There are no refugee camps for Palestinians displaced by Israel because the last big displacement was in 1948 during the war when surrounding Muslim nations tried to wipe the Jews.)

The minorities who are going to die would kiss the ground if they could somehow make it to the relative safety of the occupied territories.

Yet Jewish Israel is where Tlaib and her sort focus their condemnation. When's the last time YOU heard condemnation of any of the surrounding governments for causing and/or enabling/deliberately ignoring the suffering, desperation, death of their peoples -- by the tens and hundreds of thousands? Millions.

Go a head and pick a ME/North African nation and check it for ongoing crimes against humanity. This is real.

[Fiendish Thingy]

53. Objecting to apartheid is not the same as denying Israel's right to exist. Nt

[Akacia]

92. exactly.

[Dysfunctional]

57. Israel keeps flaunting international law taking Palestinian land.

It has an apartheid government. If you say the new government isn't then they should kick the Jews off of the Palestinian land.

[Celerity]

81. +1

[onenote]

61. Some Democrats Tlaib claims don't have "progressive values":

Andy Levin
Shontel Brown
Hakeem Jeffries
Richie Torres
Andy Kim
Carolyn Maloney

That's just the members of the progressive caucus who happen to be among the top 13 members of Congress receiving support from AIPAC.

[mahina]

62. The meaning of both statements assumes each person's understanding of Israel.

Its meaning hinges on whether you accept the the word as a symbol of the entire history of Israel excluding its treatment of Palestinians in recent years, or you include it.

[Bucky]

66. Democrats have always been on a hair trigger about overdefending Israel

There's plenty of room for dissent on this topic. It's truly nonpartisan and extremely complicated. Over in the mideast, both sides tend to act pretty irresponsibly. That reckless brinksmanship is bound to bleed over into American politics.

[mcar]

67. i agree with Rep. Wasserman Schultz

It is antisemitic.

[Hekate]

71. Sorry guys, Debbie WassermanSchultz is right,& Rashida Tlaib doesn't get to decide who's progressive

It’s not her litmus test to devise.

[JohnSJ]

75. +++

[Amishman]

77. agreed, also growing tired of Tlaib's outlandish opinions

I know people should have a right to speak their mind, but Tlaib's status as a fairly prominent member of our party means her gaffes reflect poorly on the party. Not a fan of hers at all, she keeps giving the right wacky soundbites to use against us.

[betsuni]

82. +1

[JI7]

86. ++++++

[Sympthsical]

74. Wasserman Schultz represents a Florida district

The (D-NY) just bothered me, because I started to doubt who they were talking about.

Also:

[Nixie]

76. All of the squad only have their districts.

But they are not expected to stay in their lanes? I think it’s the double standards that get all the side eyes.

[Sympthsical]

78. That was a *lot* to read into a typo/correction

Seriously. I was only noting that the article had her state wrong. Look at the first sentence. It says D-NY for a representative from Florida. As a slight pedant, it made me twitch.

I do not even know what you're referring to in your response.

[betsuni]

83. +1

[JI7]

89. There is lots of anti semitism among the "progressive" crowd

The same types in the UK are the reason Labour can't win against such mediocre Conservative leaders.

Those who are anti Israel are not interested in 2 states.

There is is just so much dishonesty in these discussions.

And so called progressives are anti liberal a lot of times.

DU use to be full of supporters of this shit.

[LeftInTX]

91. Yeah...Post 88 above called Israel Nazi

[Hekate]

94. Ye gods

[Samrob]

103. Everything said questioning Israeli policy in NOT anti semitism.

That is all.

[Zeitghost]

104. Bigotry

Fueled by repressive religions is not limited to the Christian right.