(September 27, 2024)
The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”
I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.
Onwards,
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation
(November 16, 2024)
“Secretary Blinken has continued to lie to Congress and should resign,” she said. “U.S. law is very clear. No nation blocking U.S. humanitarian assistance can receive U.S. weapons. The Biden administration cannot pick and choose when they comply with our own laws.”
“Children are forced to eat pet food and bug infested flour,” she went on. “But Blinken says there is no need to change our own policy. Shameful.”
Tlaib, an attorney and former state lawmaker, has sharply criticized the Biden administration‘s support of and arming of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack. She is among the few Democratic members of Congress who have not endorsed the party‘s presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Associated Press called the race with just 18 percent of the votes counted.
Tlaib secured 77 percent of the vote, defeating the Republican Party‘s James Hooper who received just 19 percent of the vote.
(02.03.2024)
The statement‘s signatories include legislators from Israel‘s top allies and weapons suppliers, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Just two U.S. lawmakers—Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.)—backed the statement.
The statement includes six signatories from Germany, which is facing an International Court of Justice (ICJ) case alleging complicity in genocide against Palestinians.
The lawmakers argued that an arms embargo on Israel is both „a moral necessity“ and „a legal requirement,“ given the ICJ‘s interim ruling in late January.
(Dec 11, 2023)
Legal experts and scholars have been warning since October that U.S. officials could be rendering themselves complicit in war crimes—and genocide—by continuing to arm the Israeli military as it wages indiscriminate war on the Gaza Strip.
Tlaib echoed that warning Monday, noting that the Biden administration has opted to „give weapons to a military that is very publicly and actively committing serious war crimes and crimes against humanity.“
(15.11.2023)
The letter is co-signed by Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, James McGovern, Mary Gay Scanlon, Raúl Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, Delia Ramirez, Henry Johnson, Greg Casar, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nydia Velázquez, Ayanna Pressley, Jonathan Jackson, Barbara Lee, André Carson, Jamaal Bowman, Summer Lee, Veronica Escobar, and Ilhan Omar.
The letter is endorsed by MoveOn, Amnesty International, Demand Progress, Center for International Policy, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Churches for Middle East Peace, CIVIC, Common Defense, Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL), MADRE, Oxfam America, Win Without War, POMED, Working Families Party, Action Corps, Adalah Justice Project, American Friends Service Committee, Americans Justice In Palestine, Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Democracy for Arab World Now, IfNotNow, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Migrant Roots Media, National Iranian American Council Action, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Peace Action Montgomery, The Duty Legacy, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency and the Yemeni Alliance Committee.
(14.10.2023)
US Reps. Cori Bush, Jamal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar have all made statements confirming they will not be attending Herzog’s speech.
The letter, which was obtained by The Intercept, is currently circulating among members as they are urged to sign it and has not yet been sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Ilhan Omar, Minn., and Cori Bush, Mo., have signed the letter. The office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she intends to sign the letter.
A number of progressives — who have consistently called for both the infrastructure and the separate economic package, known as the Build Back Better Act, to move together — voted „no“ on the legislation.
Here are the six House Democrats who broke from their party to vote against the bill:
Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York
Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
The first test in progressives’ push to reexamine U.S. military aid to Israel could be a $735 million precision-guided munitions sale. The Biden administration notified Congress it approved the sale before the Gaza conflict started, but it became a flashpoint over the past week after news reports publicly revealed the sale.
A group of progressives led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduced a resolution in the House to block the sale, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Senate version.
Am Mittwoch brachten einige Mitglieder des Kongresses einen Gesetzesentwurf ein, der das zu tun versucht, was die israelische Ausrichtung der Medien zu verhindern sucht – die Aktivierung von gut informierter Empörung. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib und Mark Pocan brachten eine Resolution gegen den Verkauf dieser Waffen ein.
Equally notable was the decision by President Biden later that day to praise Tlaib during an appearance in her hometown of Detroit.
“I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people,” Biden said Tuesday. “And God, thank you for being a fighter.”
The pro-Palestinian stance of these lawmakers reached unprecedented levels on Wednesday after Reps. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Mark Pocan introduced a resolution attempting to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel — the first-ever attempt by sitting members of Congress to block such a sale.
The Biden administration notified Congress on May 5 that it approved selling Israel $735 million in weapons, mostly Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions that can turn so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided missiles.
Die 80-Jährige wurde gestern bei der konstituierenden Sitzung der Kongresskammer mit knapper Mehrheit für zwei weitere Jahre im Amt bestätigt.
(02.01.2020)
We demand that every progressive in Congress refuse to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House until she publicly pledges to bring Medicare for all to the floor of the House for a vote in January:
Heading into the vote, there were also open questions surrounding the intentions of several incoming progressive lawmakers — including Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) — who had knocked off Democratic incumbents in the primaries and had declined to forecast how they‘d vote in the Speaker‘s race.
In the end, however, those newcomers declined to go after Pelosi, citing a need for Democrats to unite heading into the new Congress.
„Biden names a Jew to his cabinet What’s Rashida’s response?! ‚Welp, as long as that Judische pick doesn’t stop me from focusing my hatred on one country, Israel, then he’s a good Jew!‘ It’s not your 1A right you’re trying to protect but your vile Jew-hatred! That’s ALL yours!“ Americans Against Antisemitism founder Dov Hikind reacted.
„You can just say you‘re worried because he‘s Jewish…“ the Republican Jewish Coalition tweeted.
With Ilhan Omar‘s primary win, the progressive Democratic congresswomen of color known as the Squad have solidified their staying power.
(06.08.2020)
We recognize that a viable Democratic Socialist Party will need a larger base than what DSA currently has. Alongside growing DSA, we should call on Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilahn Omar, Labor for Bernie leaders, and many other individuals, unions, and organizations to join us in taking steps towards such a working-class, democratic, membership-controlled force to advance our political revolution against the billionaire class.
(video)
RentStrike/MortgageStrike
(14.07.2019)
(29.01.2020)
Progressive lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday, including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts’s 7th District, declared housing a fundamental human right and called for a new wave of investments in combatting homelessness and expanding affordable housing.
(29.01.2020)
According a public poll commissioned commissioned by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) last fall, 85 percent of Americans believe that ensuring everyone has a safe, decent, affordable place to live should be a “top national priority,” and 8 in 10 people in America believe that Congress should “take major action” to make housing more affordable for low-income people.
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) booed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a live campaign event for presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Iowa on Friday.
The moment happened toward the end of a panel discussion with Tlaib and Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) at Sanders‘s first „Caucus Concert,“ which featured a performance by Bon Iver in Clive, Iowa, ahead of Monday‘s caucus.
Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) praised fellow “squad” member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) on Thursday after she opened up about her alopecia journey and revealed her bald head for the first time publicly.
(11.12.2019)
(20.11.2019)
Three members of „The Squad“ — Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) — serve on the Oversight panel. The fourth, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), does not but she called Raskin one of her „favorite“ colleagues and said she could back him for chairman.
Raskin “would be a true leader when it comes to holding this Trump administration accountable and especially a leader on this impeachment inquiry,” Tlaib told The Hill in a brief interview before stepping into a closed-door impeachment hearing.
https://act.berniesanders.com/event/event-bernie-sanders-attend/34748
But Pressley said through a spokesman that endorsements are ultimately decisions “made as individuals.”
“Ayanna has tremendous respect for her sisters-in-service,” said spokesman Harry Shipps, referencing the other congresswomen. “Ayanna knows that taking back the White House in 2020 is a top priority, and she is working every day to hold this administration accountable and build a bold, diverse movement that will help propel Democrats to victory up and down the ballot.”
Three of the four members of „The Squad,“ the quartet of progressive freshmen, are lining up behind Sanders
Rep. Omar, I am also a naturalized U.S. citizen. I am an Israeli-American. I was born in Haifa, and my young parents, determined to study in the United States, took me and my sister to Los Angeles, where I was raised. At age 5, I helped my parents learn the Pledge of Allegiance when they took their oath of citizenship. Your experience speaks deeply to me as someone who feels at home in America and is proud of its traditions of welcoming the stranger, and who has an eye toward how the U.S. can use its power to lift others up, at home and abroad. I’m so sorry we won’t be able to meet because your travel was banned by the country that I now call home.
When I won the election to become a United States Congresswoman, many Palestinians, especially my grandmother, felt a sense of hope, a hope that they would finally have a voice. I cannot allow the Israeli government to take that away from them or to use my deep desire to see my grandmother, potentially for the last time, as a political bargaining chip. My family and I have cried together throughout this ordeal; they’ve promised to keep my grandmother alive until I can one day reunite with her. It is with their strength and heart that I reiterate I am a duly elected United States Congresswoman and I will not allow the Israeli government to humiliate me and my family or take away our right to speak out. I will not allow the Israeli government to take away our hope.
Israels Innenminister Arie Deri hat diesem am Freitag stattgegeben. Die Einreise sei für einen „humanitären Besuch ihrer 90-jährigen Großmutter genehmigt“, hieß es in einer Stellungnahme des Ministeriums.
Wenig später schrieb sie allerdings auf Twitter, sie werde unter diesen „repressive Bedingungen“ nicht einreisen. Ihre Großmutter würde nicht wollen, dass sie „wie eine Kriminelle“ behandelt werde, schrieb sie auf Twitter.
For many Palestinians, the fact that Tlaib accepted these terms was itself an affront, a humiliating compromise in which she was made to forgo her opinions to see her loved ones.
“Israel is the oppressor and its racist attitude towards Palestinians is established policy,” Nour Odeh, a Palestinian journalist, wrote on Twitter. “Rashida should have known better. She should have acted with more dignity & pride.”
Tlaib appeared to agree by Friday morning.
Tell Democrats in Congress to commit to not traveling to Israel until Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar are allowed to enter by signing on to our petition right now.
Progressive champions like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Marc Pocan have already committed to not visiting Israel until all members of congress can visit — we need the rest of the Democrats in Congress to do the same.
Tlaib said in her humanitarian request that the visit may be her last chance to see her grandmother, adding that she would not promote boycotts of Israel while in the region.
„This could be my last opportunity to see her. I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit,” she wrote, according to The Guardian.
As for the principle that elected representatives of the American people should be able to travel where they like — the principle enunciated a few weeks ago by Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador in Washington — Mr. Trump has made his rejoinder clear: Principles are for suckers. How many dictators are rejoicing today that a U.S. president has given them full permission to bar members of Congress who in the future might want to visit their countries to monitor elections or speak up for human rights?
Most officials of mainstream American Jewish organizations have never been to the places Tlaib and Omar planned to go. They’ve never talked to Palestinians whose homes are about to be bulldozed because they lack the building permits that, as non-citizens under military rule, they can’t get. They’ve never heard Palestinian parents explain the terror they feel when Israeli soldiers come in the middle of the night to take their children to be interrogated, often for days, in the absence of a lawyer.
Make no mistake about it, while Trump’s motivation was in part political, it was also motivated by the racist animus that drives Trumpism in the U.S. and, as it happens, shapes the ethno-nationalist views of Netanyahu and his extreme-right wing supporters in Israel.
By enlisting a foreign power to take action against two American citizens, let alone elected members of Congress, Mr. Trump crossed a line that other presidents have not, in effect exporting his partisan battles beyond the country’s borders. And he demonstrated the lengths that he will go to to target his domestic opponents, in this case two of the congresswomen of color he has sought to make the face of the Democratic Party heading into his re-election campaign.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, widely seen as the Democratic Party‘s primary frontrunner, condemned Israel‘s move to ban the lawmakers‘ entry and took a shot at Trump for encouraging the country to do so.
„I have always been a stalwart supporter of Israel—a vital partner that shares our democratic values. No democracy should deny entry to visitors based on the content of their ideas—even ideas they strongly object to. And no leader of the free world should encourage them to do so,“ Biden tweeted.
US-Präsident Donald Trump hatte zuvor auf dem Kurznachrichtendienst Twitter indirekt an die israelische Regierung appelliert, die beiden Frauen nicht ins Land zu lassen. Es wäre ein Zeichen großer Schwäche, wenn Israel die beiden Kongressabgeordneten einreisen ließe, schrieb er dort. „Sie hassen Israel und alle Juden“, und es gebe nichts, was die beiden von ihrer Haltung abbringen könne. „Sie sind eine Schande!“
Barring Congresswoman would greatly damage Israel‘s relations with Democratic party, Israeli diplomats warn ■ Trump tweets allowing their visit is ‚great show of weakness‘
The spokesman did not specify when the decision was made or who made the final decision, but the announcement comes shortly after US President Donald Trump said Israel would be showing „great weakness“ by allowing them to enter the country.
The squad has tilled new ground in reanimating a fighting spirit within the Democratic Party and revived its left flank. A more timid approach would have been to go to Washington and blend in. The women’s approach is admirably and courageously to stand out.