Rashida Tlaib said Blinken exposed his lie by announcing there would be no change to any policy despite admitting Israel has failed to comply with US demands.
United States Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resign for failing to reverse American policy on arms export to Israel. The call comes after Tel Aviv refused to comply with the 30-day deadline set by the US administration for entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
“In a letter to Israel on October 13th Secretary Blinken acknowledged that the Israeli government was violating US law by blocking aid and gave them 30 days to comply,” she said in an address to the US House of Representatives on Thursday.
“This week Mr. Speaker, Secretary Blinken exposed his lie by announcing that there will be no change to any policy despite admitting that the Israeli government has still failed to comply with all of their demands,” Tlaib stressed.
“Secretary Blinken has continued to lie to Congress and should resign,” she added.
Rashida Tlaib presented an Image of a Starving Palestinian Child to Congress and Demanded Blinken's Resignation. pic.twitter.com/qNtM8e3TrF
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) November 15, 2024
The US administration letter requested Israel to allow the entry of 350 aid trucks to the besieged enclave; however, according to the lawmaker, this request was never fulfilled.
“Guess what? According to Israel’s own data and government, only 57 trucks were allowed in Gaza per day in October, if that is even true!” she stated, noting that this is the lowest amount of aid delivered to the Strip in a year.
With a photo on display of an ailing Palestinian child suffering from famine, the congresswoman asked her colleagues not to look away.
“Children are forced to eat pet food and bug-infested flour. Look at this. And do not turn your back on again being complicit to this war crime. Shameful!” Tlaib also said.
The Democratic Representative accused Israel of “using starvation as a weapon of war,” noting that the US administration has continued to ignore reports from international human rights organizations and the United Nations that the “Israeli government is blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza in violation of US and international law.”
“ProPublica published a detailed account of how the US State Department submitted report after report to Congress that contradicted the findings of its department’s own experts and those of other agencies,” Tlaib stressed.
US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib condemned the Biden administration policies toward Israel during its genocide war in Gaza and accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon.
More details: https://t.co/kQeN2Buuqh pic.twitter.com/dMGeI5nSWM
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 15, 2024
The lawmaker slammed her country for its hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to applying US laws.
“US law is very clear. No nation blocking US humanitarian assistance can receive US weapons,” she stressed.
Tlaib added: “The Biden administration cannot pick and choose when they comply with our own laws.”
Vocal for Palestinian Rights
This is not the first time the first Palestinian-American congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib advocates for Palestinian rights. She is known for her strong stance against unconditional American support for Israel.
During the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the Congress on July 24, Tlaib confronted him, holding him accountable for the genocide in the Gaza Strip.
During Netanyahu’s address, Tlaib wore a keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag and held up a black-and-white sign with “war criminal” written on one side and “guilty of genocide” on the other.
“They will not erase us. Palestinians exist and we deserve to live. Our presence today will be a reminder that we aren’t going anywhere,” Tlaib said regarding her presence at the speech.
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Antony Blinken are shipping bombs and shells to "Israel" to destroy Lebanon and Gaza. They are monsters. All 3 should be prosecuted under 18 USC 1091 genocide 18 USC 2441 war crimes and 18 USC 2340 2340A torture. No one should be above the law. https://t.co/dwKkvAeWVb
— Laurence (Larry) Boorstein (@LarryBoorstein) November 15, 2024
“I will never back down in speaking truth to power. The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians,” Tlaib continued.
“Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” Tlaib also tweeted.
Last November, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution censuring Tlaib for her condemnation of President Joe Biden and Israel’s policies on Gaza.
Death Toll on the Rise
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,736 Palestinians have been killed, and 103,370 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Over the past year, officials resigned from across the Biden Administration in protest of the President's immoral, illegal, and harmful policies towards Gaza and Palestine/Israel more broadly.
Today, on the eve of the expiration of the letter Secretaries Blinken and Austin sent… pic.twitter.com/S1b0IfROuK
— Dr. Annelle Sheline (@AnnelleSheline) November 12, 2024
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Rashida is fearless!
i support her 100%.
Kia kaha, e tu, e hine toa! Be strong, stand tall, warrior woman!