Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was sharply criticized by users online after a Palestinian flag was observed outside of her office in the aftermath of an attack on Israel by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group.
Tlaib, a member of the “far-left” squad, is of Palestinian descent. She received backlash from people on X, formerly known as Twitter, after Reese Gorman, a reporter with the Washington Examiner shared a post showing a photo of the Palestinian flag outside of her office at the Capitol.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, with thousands of rockets being launched and Hamas terrorists paragliding into a music festival near the Gaza Strip border, leading to the death of more than 250 people.
In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas.
“Rep. Rashida Tlaib still has a Palestinian flag hanging outside her House Office amid Hamas’ invasion of Israel,” Gorman wrote in his post.
New: Rep. Rashida Tlaib still has a Palestinian flag hanging outside her House Office amid Hamas’ invasion of Israel.
— Reese Gorman (@reesejgorman) October 9, 2023
Story: https://t.co/2fnZXMghsN pic.twitter.com/Tebnf91ae7
“The halls of Congress belong to America,” wrote Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio). “They should be reserved for flags that embody our great nation.”
Miller continued to write that the “Palestinian flag should not have a place here.”
The halls of Congress belong to America. They should be reserved for flags that embody our great nation.
— Congressman Max Miller (@RepMaxMiller) October 9, 2023
The Palestinian flag should not have a place here.
That’s why I sponsored an appropriations amendment to end this silliness. https://t.co/faV28rI5UR pic.twitter.com/XR8BJE4r1y
Matthew Foldi, a political reporter with The Spectator wrote that “right next to the flag of the nonexistent country of ‘Palestine,’ Rashida Tlaib has an LGBT flag,” adding that he had taken a recent photo.
“This is a contradiction so irreconcilable that I won’t bother,” he added.
Foldi’s comment comes as a reference to “same-sex sexual activity” being prohibited in Gaza, according to the Human Dignity Trust website.
This is a great @reesejgorman story, but it’s actually even funnier
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) October 9, 2023
Right next to the flag of the nonexistent country of “Palestine,” Rashida Tlaib has an LGBT flag—I just took this pic
This is a contradiction so irreconcilable that I won’t bother https://t.co/34AqVkZLn7 https://t.co/Poepjhlwir pic.twitter.com/HGyfdou5Av
Others were quick to point out that Tlaib is Palestinian and quickly jumped to her defense.
“Should she pretend she’s not Palestinian?” one person asked.
should she pretend she's not palestinian? or https://t.co/8bdyHJ8RKa
— Akela Lacy (@akela_lacy) October 9, 2023
“…she is the one Palestinian-American in Congress,” Bryan Metzger, a political reporter with Insider News wrote.
…she is the one Palestinian-American in Congress https://t.co/qpCaWUVMEQ
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) October 9, 2023
Another person pointed out, “Her family is Palestinian. The modern Palestinian flag predates Hamas by twenty years. Leave her alone.”
Her family is Palestinian. The modern Palestinian flag predates Hamas by twenty years. Leave her alone https://t.co/thlVQ9WJtY
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) October 9, 2023
Tlaib, and other Democratic members of the “Squad” such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) were criticized for their statements in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day,” Tlaib wrote in a statement. “I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity.”
Tlaib continued to cast blame on Israel for having placed a blockade on Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, arguing that it has created “suffocating, dehumanizing conditions.”
Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement calling for the de-escalation of the violence, though Hamas had attacked Israel, while Bush issued a statement calling for an end of U.S. government support for Israel.
As the war continued onto day four, more than 900 Israelis were reported to be dead. More than 100 people have been reported to have been taken as hostages by Hamas, including children and the elderly.