Rashida Tlaib holds sign calling Netanyahu a 'war criminal' during speech to Congress
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) holds a sign that reads "War Criminal" as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 2
WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 2) - When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress on Wednesday, vowing to achieve "total victory" in the ongoing war against Hamas, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib held up a sign with "war criminal" on one side and "guilty of genocide" on the other.
Tlaib, of Detroit, is the first and only Palestinian American Congress member. She has been outspoken about the war in Gaza and other Palestinian territories – repeatedly labeling Israel's actions as genocidal and calling for a permanent ceasefire.
"Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress," Talib said in a statement on Tuesday, a day prior to the prime minister of Israel's speech. "He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court."
During his joint address, Netanyahu recalled the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people at a concert in southern Israel – calling Hamas monsters, rapists, and murderers.
"This is not a clash of civilizations, it's a clash between barbarism and civilization," Netanyahu said. "It's a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life. For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together."
Since the attack, Israel has aggressively retaliated.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the toll from Israel’s nine-month war against Hamas has surpassed 39,000 Palestinians killed and 89,800 wounded.
Over 15,000 of the casualties are children, according to a live tracker from Al Jazeera, the largest news network in the Middle East.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Netanyahu’s visit occurs as the Israel-Ha
Netanyahu denounced those who protest Israel, saying they should be "ashamed of themselves," and calling them "Iran's useful idiots."
"Anti-Israel protesters – many choose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers," he said. "They refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who target civilians."
Netanyahu used the high-profile address to Congress to emphasize longstanding and close ties between the United States and Israel. He thanked President Joe Biden for his "heartfelt support of Israel."
"President Biden and I have known each other for over 40 years. I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and for being, as he says, ‘a proud Zionist,'" the Israeli prime minister said.
Speaking for nearly an hour, the prime minister received frequent applause from U.S. lawmakers, as well as stony silence from many leading Democrats.
TOPSHOT - (L-R) US Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, and US Representative Cori Bush, Democrat of Missouri, hold signs reading "Stop Sending Bombs" and "Lasting Ceasfire Now" as US President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union
Several Democratic lawmakers joined Tlaib in boycotting the address, some sporting Palestinian keffiyehs during the event. Thousands of protesters were also outside the Capitol, condemning the war and the humanitarian crisis created by it. Some of the protests near the Capitol turned chaotic.
Tlaib said Netanyahu's invitation to address Congress is "a celebration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians."
"It is a sad day for our democracy when my colleagues will smile for a photo op with a man who is actively committing genocide. It is hypocritical to claim to be concerned about the massive death toll of innocent civilians, and then turn around and welcome the person responsible for these war crimes to our Capitol," Tlaib said in her statement. "Their silence is betrayal, and history will remember them accordingly. Our government must stop supporting and funding this genocide now."
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, holds a "War Criminal" sign during a joint meeting of Congress with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Netanyahu's sp
The Associated Press contributed to this report.