The World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Sunday responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Harbi TlaibTlaib suggests boycotting Maher show after he calls anti-Israel boycott movement ‘bullsh-t purity test’ The Memo: Trump pushes back amid signs of economic slowdown Tlaib’s grandmother to Trump: ‘May God ruin’ you MORE’s (D-Mich.) suggestion to boycott comedian Bill Maher
William (Bill) MaherTlaib suggests boycotting Maher show after he calls anti-Israel boycott movement ‘bulls— purity test’ Maher stands by recession remarks: ‘Very worth’ getting rid of Trump Maher rails against anti-Israel boycott movement: ‘A bulls— purity test’ for Democrats MORE’s HBO show over his recent criticism of the international movement to boycott Israel, saying it finds the move “deeply disturbing.”
In a news release, WJC President Ronald Lauder slammed Tlaib for proposing the boycott and pointed to the lawmaker’s support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
“Serious questions need to be asked about Tlaib’s motivation in supporting the extremist BDS Movement, which is allied with terrorists and is not shy about its ultimate aim of destroying Israel,” Lauder said in the release.
Tlaib floated the idea of boycotting Maher’s show after on Friday he called the BDS movement “a bullshit purity test by people who want to appear woke but actually slept through history class.”
“It’s predicated on this notion, I think — it’s very shallow thinking — that the Jews in Israel, mostly white, and the Palestinians are browner, so they must be innocent and correct, and the Jews must be wrong. As if the occupation came right out of the blue, that these completely peaceful people found themselves occupied,” he said.
Tlaib fired back in a tweet late Saturday, suggesting viewers boycott the program.
“I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom,” she wrote. “This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn’t work then and it won’t now.”
Maybe folks should boycott his show.
I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom. This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn’t work then and it won’t now. https://t.co/Oa49ZVfrVN
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 17, 2019
Lauder said the WJC “fully supports the constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech and has borne witness to the historic horrors associated with boycotts and the suppression of free speech.”
Tlaib, along with Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarTlaib suggests boycotting Maher show after he calls anti-Israel boycott movement ‘bullsh-t purity test’ The Memo: Trump pushes back amid signs of economic slowdown Tlaib’s grandmother to Trump: ‘May God ruin’ you MORE (D-Minn.), last week was denied entry into Israel over her support for the BDS movement.
Tlaib and Omar became the first Muslim women sworn into Congress in January. The two have been vocal critics of Israel during their short time in Congress. Tlaib is also the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress.
Listen Up! Breaking up is hard to do | Commentary