CNN contributor Peter Beinart offered a staunch defense of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., after she was accused of sharing anti-Israel rhetoric on Twitter.
On Sunday, Tlaib commemorated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in part by retweeting an illustration posted by Palestinian-American activist Rasha Mubarak.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” Mubarak captioned the tweet.
That pro-Palestinian saying has long been interpreted and criticized as a call for the elimination of the Jewish state.
RASHIDA TLAIB ACCUSED OF ANTI-SEMITISM FOR REACTION TO BIDEN’S JEWISH SEC OF STATE NOMINEE
On Monday, the pro-Israel group Democratic Majority for Israel shared a screenshot of Tlaib’s retweet and condemned the congresswoman.
“@RashidaTlaib is not just opposed to Israeli control of the West Bank — this slogan means she sees the entire State of Israel as illegitimate and wants it eliminated. That’s an immoral and reprehensible position,” the Democratic group tweeted.
Beinart, who is also an opinion writer for The New York Times and editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, appeared to vouch for the Michigan Democrat.
“@RashidaTlaib supports 1 state where Jews + Palestinians live equally, under the same law. Why is that less moral that the current 1 state: Where millions of Palestinians lack citizenship, due process, free movement + the right to vote for the govt that controls their lives?” Beinart asked on Tuesday.
SQUAD MEMBER RASHIDA TLAIB, ACCUSED OF BEING ANTI-SEMITIC, TO SPEAK ON PANEL ABOUT ANTI=SEMITISM
He later added, “I get why many Jews find slogan ‘Palestine from River to Sea’ frightening. Some have used it to disregard Jewish rights (1st Hamas charter, for instance). But @RashidaTlaib has been clear that Jews + Palestinians deserve equality. Suggesting otherwise is a smear.”
Beinart is set to appear alongside Tlaib in a panel discussion called “Dismantling Dismantling Anti-Semitism, Winning Justice,” which is scheduled on Dec. 15.
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Last month, Tlaib was accused of anti-Semitism for immediately invoking Israeli policy after it was reported that President-elect Biden was selecting Antony Blinken, who is Jewish, as his secretary of state.
In 2019, Tlaib raised eyebrows after describing the “calm feeling” she experienced when thinking about the Holocaust. However, the congresswoman said her critics were policing and “twisting” her words.
Fox News’ Sam Dorman contributed to this report.
