Whitmer Fails To Address Tlaib Antisemitism 

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan sidestepped a question regarding whether Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib’s criticism of Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel was anti-Semitic. Tlaib, a member of “the Squad,” accused Nessel of bias over charges against anti-Israel protesters at the University of Michigan, leading Nessel to label Tlaib’s remarks as anti-Semitic in a post on X.

During an interview with “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper, Whitmer acknowledged the pain experienced by both the Jewish community and the Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities in Michigan. She stated, “I know that seeing the incredible toll that this war has taken on both communities has been really, really challenging and difficult, and my heart breaks for so many.” Whitmer emphasized her duty to protect and respect both communities under Michigan law.

Rashida’s religion should not be used in a cartoon to imply that she’s a terrorist. It’s Islamophobic and wrong.

Just as Rashida should not use my religion to imply I cannot perform my job fairly as Attorney General. It’s anti-Semitic and wrong.

— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) September 20, 2024

When Tapper pressed Whitmer on Tlaib’s accusations, she maintained, “Like I said, Jake, I’m not going to get in the middle of this argument that they’re having.” She added, “We do want to make sure that students are safe on our campuses, and we recognize that every person has the right to make their statement about how they feel about an issue, a right to speak out, and I’m going to use every lever of mine to ensure that both are true.”

“I'm not going to get in the middle of this argument that they're having.”
@GovWhitmer declines to weigh in after Michigan AG Dana Nessel accused Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of an antisemitic remark for suggesting her charges against pro-Palestinian protesters were biased. pic.twitter.com/uh8tyVJcU2

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) September 22, 2024

Following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths, anti-Israel protests have led to blockades against Jewish students at various U.S. universities and colleges.