The image was shared widely after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress: Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Congress’ only lawmaker from Palestinian heritage, sat in the House chamber, at times flanked by empty seats, draped in a keffiyeh, holding a sign that read “war criminal” and “guilty of genocide.”
Tlaib is not the only lawmaker in Congress deeply critical of Netanyahu’s policies and of Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza; a growing contingent of Democrats have raised alarms about the more than 39,000 Palestinian deaths. So why was the Michigan Democrat left to protest on her own?
NOTUS spoke with several of Tlaib’s progressive allies on why they chose to boycott the address instead of protesting in the room. All emphasized they did so in solidarity with Tlaib.