WATCH: Tennessee GOP Rep’s Fiery Response To Tlaib’s Anti-Israel Iron Dome Rant
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (Tennessee) hit back at far-left Democrat Rep. Rashida T’laib after the Michigan lawmaker rallied against the funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The progressive lawmaker in her speech before the House of Representatives accused Israel — a US ally — of committing “war crimes” and having an “apartheid system” before the Democrat-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to fund the project.
“I rise in opposition to this supplemental. I will not support an effort to enable and support war crimes, human rights abuses and violence,” T’laib said. “We cannot be talking only about Israelis’ need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system and are dying from what Human Rights Watch has said are war crimes. We should also be talking about Palestinian need for security from Israeli attacks.”
The far-left Democrat added: “We must be consistent in our commitment to human life. Period. Everyone deserves to be safe there. The bill claims to be ‘a replenishment’ for weapons apartheid Israel used in a crisis that it manufactured when it worshippers at one of the most holiest Islamist locations, the Al-aqsa Mosque, committing, again, numerous war crimes and yet, one billion dollar sin American tax dollars and my colleagues want to give represents to me an absurd and unjustifiable 140 times increase to US for the Iron Dome.”
“I firmly believe our country must oppose selling weapons to anyone, anywhere, without human rights law compliance. The Israeli government is an apartheid regime, not my words, the words of Human Rights Watch and Israel’s own human rights organization, B’Tselem. I urge my colleagues, please stand with me in supporting human rights for all,” T’laib, a vocal critic of Israel added, citing Israel hard-left anti-Israel group B’Tselem.
Blasting Tlaib, Fleischmann in his speech said: “They have a vocal minority in the majority party that is anti-Israel, that is anti-Semitic, and as Americans we can never stand for that.”
“Mister Speaker, I yield myself as much time as necessary to respond to this comment. Mister Speaker, the truth has finally come out on the floor of the House of the United States of America. I heard some of my Democratic colleagues stand with me, with Israel, with our ally to fight terrorism with a defensive weapons system. And what did we just hear? We heard the Democratic party speak out. We heard right now from my colleague across the aisle with a shocking statement. She opposes this because they have a vocal minority in the majority party that is anti-Israel, that is anti-Semitic, and as Americans we can never stand for that,” Fleischmann said in his fiery response.
“I grew up with Holocaust survivors,” the Tennessee lawmaker added. “I grew up with children of Holocaust survivors. Israel has been attacked and attacked and attacked since its inception. As Americans, I beseech you: I reach out to the majority and I say, condemn what we just heard on the floor. Condemn terrorism. This is a defensive weapons system. Stop playing your procedural games. I hear commit, recommit. It was a motion to recommit.”
“You just saw something on this floor I thought I would never see,” Fleischmann maintained. “Not only as a member of this House, but as an American. Let us stand with Israel. Let’s combat anti-Semitism wherever it is in the world. Whether it’s in the United States, whether it’s from terrorism.”
“I am shocked, Mister Speaker, with what I just heard. I ask the majority to condemn the comments that were just made by their member and with that I yield back,” the GOP lawmaker added.
After @RashidaTlaib finished her diatribe, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann responded, yielding himself as much time as necessary to respond. Amazing: pic.twitter.com/o2TG5TNBRC
— Conspiracy Libel (@ConspiracyLibel) September 24, 2021
The US House of Representatives approved Thursday a $1 billion funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The measure passed with a vote of 420-9 with nine members of the House voting ‘nay’ to the funding — eight Democrats and one Republican — with two members voting ‘present.’
“This bill demonstrates Congress’ commitment to our friend and ally Israel is bipartisan and ironclad,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said.
Meanwhile, the Democrats who voted against the funding were Reps. Cori Bush (Missouri), André Carson (Indiana); Jesús García (Illinois), Raúl Grijalva (Arizona), and Marie Newman (Illinois). Progressive lawmaker Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) and Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts), also voted against the bill joined by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky).
