Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib denounced the terror attacks committed by Hamas on Wednesday, five days after they occurred.
Tlaib told Michigan Advance that she does not support the attacks against Israeli civilians by Hamas and that those who suggested she did were motivated by racial animus.
“I do not support the targeting and killing of civilians, whether in Israel or Palestine,” Tlaib said. “The fact that some have suggested otherwise is offensive and rooted in bigoted assumptions about my faith and ethnicity.” (RELATED: ‘Do Israeli Lives Not Matter?’: Rashida Tlaib Runs From Reporter Grilling Her About Hamas ‘Chopping Off Babies’ Heads’)
Tlaib first issued a statement on Sunday, partially blaming Israel for the attacks and calling for an end to the nation’s “apartheid” laws.
.@RepRashida tells @MichiganAdvance Wednesday: “I do not support targeting and killing of civilians, whether in Israel or Palestine. Fact that some have suggested otherwise is offensive and rooted in bigoted assumptions about my faith and ethnicity.” #IsraelPalestineConflict pic.twitter.com/uBTYW8OPp4
— Ken Coleman (@HistoryLivesDet) October 11, 2023
“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day,” Tlaib wrote, the outlet noted. “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. The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.”
“The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer,” Tlaib continued. “No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other. As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”
Tlaib has long been a critic of the state of Israel. She has referred to the nation as an “apartheid” state multiple times.