WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has filed a resolution that would censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her criticism of Israel, accusing her of recently inciting an insurrection in a House office building.
The measure would censure Tlaib for “antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex," Greene said Thursday morning in remarks on the House floor.
Greene has described a rally on Oct. 18 at the Capitol calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war as an insurrection. During the event, hundreds of demonstrators entered the Cannon House office building, causing U.S. Capitol Police to temporarily close access to the building. Capitol Police estimated that they arrested 300 protesters, including three people who were charged with assault on a police officer.
A Capitol Police spokesperson said that to the best of their knowledge, everyone went through security and entered the building the proper way. House and Senate office buildings are open to the public, but people must be screened by magnetometers.
The protest was loud and disruptive, but it wasn't comparable to the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters stormed the building; more than 1,100 people were ultimately charged. Greene has defended them and former President Donald Trump as he has faced accusations he incited the attack.
The demonstration last week was organized by far-left Jewish activist groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, who are advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Anti-Defamation League says that Jewish Voice for Peace is "a radical anti-Israel activist group that advocates for a complete economic, cultural and academic boycott of the state of Israel" and that IfNotNow's "criticism of the Israeli government has been extreme, including calling it a 'violent, bloodthirsty regime,' and alleging that it is perpetrating genocide in Gaza."
Greene's resolution cites a number of statements Tlaib has tweeted or retweeted supporting Palestinians and criticizing the Israeli government.
Because it’s a privileged resolution, the House will have to vote on it within two legislative days. The House is set to return to Washington next Wednesday, so a vote wouldn’t happen until next week at the earliest.
Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, didn't attend the protest indoors, a source familiar with the matter said, but she delivered remarks at a rally with the demonstrators outside the Capitol.
"I wish all the Palestinian people would see this. I wish they can see that not all of America want them to die, that they are not disposable," she said. "They didn’t ask to be born in occupation. ... The dehumanization has chipped at my soul."
She added: "The warmongers are out, y’all. They are ready. They want to kill and not stop. It’s pure insanity."
In a statement Thursday, Tlaib called Greene's resolution "deeply Islamophobic" and said it "attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates."
"I am proud to stand in solidarity with Jewish peace advocates calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence. I will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized, and I will not be silenced," she said. "I will continue to call for ceasefire, for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, for the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained, and for every American to be brought home."
"I will continue to work for a just and lasting peace that upholds the human rights and dignity of all people, and ensures that no person, no child has to suffer or live in fear of violence," she added.
A number of lawmakers have criticized Tlaib and other members of the "squad" for their response to Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel. Members of Congress have also lambasted Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for alleging that Israel was responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza last week that killed civilians. Israeli and U.S. officials have said intelligence indicates the blast was most likely caused by a misfired rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad that broke apart after the engine failed.
In a threaded tweet Wednesday, Tlaib said, "Media outlets and third-party analysts have raised doubts about claims and evidence offered by both Israel and the Gaza Ministry of Health, and I agree with the United Nations that an independent investigation is necessary."
Tlaib was among nine House Democrats who voted against a resolution Wednesday condemning Hamas' attack, which left 1,400 people dead and more than 200 held hostage in Gaza.
Greene has propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories in the past and made highly questionable statements about the Holocaust.
For example, she has suggested that California wildfires were ignited by "Jewish space lasers" and compared Covid-19-related rules to the Holocaust. She compared mask mandates to the yellow Stars of David that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust; she apologized for the remarks after she visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., following backlash from her colleagues.