Jewish groups are taking Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to task after she claimed Tuesday that Israel is a racist, apartheid state that is depriving Palestinians like her grandmother of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I think it’s really important to understand Israel is a racist state and that they would deny Palestinians, like my grandmother, access to a vaccine, that they don’t believe that she’s an equal human being that deserves to live, deserves to be able to be protected by this global pandemic,” Tlaib told Democracy Now! host Ann Goodman in response to a question about Israel vaccinating about 20% of its citizens.
“And it’s really hard to watch as this apartheid state continues to deny their own neighbors, the people that breathe the same air they breathe, that live in the same communities,” Tlaib continued, alleging that Israel is implementing “racist policies” that deny Palestinians basic freedoms.
Tlaib went on to scold the United States for allegedly “enabling” Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in “not [following] international human rights.”
Both the American Jewish Committee and StopAntisemitism.org called Tlaib out for her comments, explaining that Israel is giving vaccines to both Jewish and Arab Israelis. Under the Oslo Accords, StopAntisemitism.org pointed out, the Palestinian National Authority (PA) is responsible for the health of those in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and rejected Israel’s help.
“@RashidaTlaib, you are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts,” the American Jewish Committee tweeted. “Israel is giving the vaccine to all its citizens, Jewish and Arab alike. The PA, responsible for Palestinian healthcare, has rejected Israel’s help and ordered its own vaccines.”
WATCH:
.@RashidaTlaib, you are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts.
Israel is giving the vaccine to all its citizens, Jewish and Arab alike.
The PA, responsible for Palestinian healthcare, has rejected Israel's help and ordered its own vaccines. pic.twitter.com/zbPaOvynsQ
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) January 19, 2021
“A sitting Congresswoman (Palestinian) is clueless about the Oslo Accords,” watchdog group StopAntisemitism.org wrote before quoting the section of the Oslo Accords that delineates the responsibility of the PA to handle the health and vaccinations of Palestinians.
2. The Palestinian side shall continue to apply the present standards of vaccinations of Palestinians and shall improve them according to the internationally accepted standards in the field, taking into account WHO recommendations.
P.S. – how many Jews live in Gaza?
ZERO.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 19, 2021
Israeli health minister Yuli Edelstein told CNN regarding his country’s rollout of the vaccine: “Our calculation was based on Israeli citizens. If we’ll get to the situation where everyone in the country who wants to be vaccinated is vaccinated, we will be more than ready to share the vaccines with our neighbors. At this stage we are talking about Israeli citizens … I haven’t heard of any obligation of Israel to pay for the vaccines for someone else.”
In 2019, Tlaib attempted to use her Palestinian grandmother for an anti-Israel stunt that backfired, drawing ridicule from President Donald Trump. As The Daily Wire reported:
President Donald Trump tore into anti-Semitic Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Friday after the far-left lawmaker was slammed most of the day by critics over the stunt she pulled with her trip to Israel.
Tlaib had planned on visiting Israel with fellow anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and planned on meeting with multiple groups that support terrorism against Israel, including one that has promoted neo-Nazi propaganda. Israel released a lengthy statement on Thursday documenting why they would not allow the two lawmakers to enter their country.
Tlaib turned around and asked Israeli Foreign Minister Ayre Deri for entry to the country, promising that she would not promote the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement while she was in the country.
As a sign of goodwill, Israel approved Tlaib’s request on a humanitarian basis which led to Tlaib refusing to go on the trip. Deri noted in response to Tlaib’s decision that “her hate for Israel overcomes her love for her grandmother.”
Related: Israeli Foreign Minister Responds To Tlaib: ‘Hate For Israel Overcomes Her Love For Her Grandmother’