University Cancels Event Featuring Rashida Tlaib Over Anti-Israel Views

Arizona State University has canceled an event set to feature Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) after Tlaib openly expressed her support for the elimination of Israel by using the genocidal phrase, “From the river to the sea.”

The event, titled “Palestine is an American Issue,” was organized by the far-left group Students for Justice in Palestine. The plan to have Tlaib speak at the event was prevented by a bipartisan group of Arizona state lawmakers who were deeply concerned about Tlaib’s views.

In a joint statement, the lawmakers issued a letter titled, “Congresswoman Tlaib’s Extremist, Antisemitic Views Are Not Welcome in the State of Arizona.” They emphasized that Arizona is a safe place for Jews, both on and off campus, and that Tlaib’s anti-Semitic rhetoric did not align with the values of the state.

Furthermore, the lawmakers pointed out incidents where students supporting Israel had faced verbal and physical assaults during SJP rallies on campus, necessitating police escorts. This raised serious concerns about the safety of individuals holding pro-Israel views.

The lawmakers also highlighted Tlaib’s history of making anti-Semitic remarks and her support for Israel’s destruction, pointing to her statements both before and after the deadly terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7.

In their statement, the lawmakers stated, “We believe that such extremist, antisemitic views should be condemned, and they are not welcome in the state of Arizona.”

Rather than focus on divisive rhetoric, the lawmakers urged SJP to direct its attention to a pressing humanitarian issue – Abigail Edan, a three-year-old girl with ties to Arizona, who was tragically kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Gaza after they murdered her parents.

“Abigail is a three-year-old girl with ties to Arizona and was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza after they murdered her parents. Rather than honor Congresswoman Tlaib for a speaking engagement, SJP should be calling for Abigail’s immediate safe release in time for her fourth birthday next week,” they stated.

This cancellation comes as the latest wave of condemnation Tlaib would receive for her anti-Israeli views. Her most controversial remark, in which she used the phrase “from the river to the sea” in a video posted to X, earned her a ton of backlash and censure by the U.S. House. The censure resolution passed with a significant majority, with 22 Democrats joining 212 Republicans in voting for it.

The censure resolution criticized Tlaib for promoting false narratives regarding Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel and for advocating for the destruction of the state. It also reaffirmed the historical importance of Israel’s existence and the U.S.’s role in supporting it.

From spreading misinformation about Israel’s involvement in the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Oct.17 to the use of the phrase “from the river to the sea” on Nov. 3, the resolution pointed out Tlaib’s defense of acts of violence and terrorism, including brutal crimes against civilians, by Hamas, labeling them as “justified resistance” against what she referred to as an “apartheid state.”

Tlaib’s attempt to justify the genocidal phrase as an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence” was rejected as it clearly implied Israel’s destruction and denial of its right to exist.

From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) November 3, 2023