Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) is being accused of fomenting a new Capitol riot by conservatives after weighing in on the debate over this week’s explosion at a hospital in Gaza
The issue began on Tuesday after Tlaib blamed Israel for killing 500 Palestinians by bombing the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
Since then, however, new evidence has challenged what was initially widely reported. Both the Israeli and U.S. governments have independently claimed that the attack, which hit a parking lot adjacent to the hospital, was caused by a failed rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Amid the back-and-forth, Tlaib angered her critics for declining to delete her tweet. But conservatives appear most upset about Tlaib attending a protest on Wednesday that advocated for a ceasefire in the ongoing war.
Yet the pushback on Tlaib was not centered around the hospital attack. Instead, conservatives once again attempted to downplay their violent riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by suggesting that Tlaib’s protest was comparable.
“Today we just witnessed the worst attack on our democracy in history. Far-left extremists stormed Capitol Hill,” the account End Wokeness posted on X. “Rashida Tlaib incited the crowd outside the Capitol. A sitting member of Congress. Never Forget the 10/18 insurrection.”
Many also referred to Tlaib as a traitor and argued that her actions, which they claimed were insurrectionist in nature, should lead to prison time.
“BREAKING: Hundreds of Democrat Insurrectionists storm US Capitol calling for Gaza ceasefire. Did the Hamas Caucus coordinate to allow them access?” popular far-right user DC Draino asked. “This is the darkest day in our democracy. We must create the October 18th Committee and hold these domestic extremists accountable!”
But the partisan argument was quickly picked apart. For starters, the protest Tlaib attended wasn’t at the Capitol and was instead in the Cannon House Office Building. Secondly, unlike the Capitol, the building was actually open to the public at the time.
It was also noted that no violence took place, nothing was destroyed, and no congressional duties were interrupted.
“Insurrection and unruly protests are not the same thing. If you are breaking down windows causing Congress to flee, it’s beyond a protest,” X user Robert Graham said.
The argument from conservatives is part of a never-ending effort to either downplay or blame the Capitol riot on others. Conservatives have said that the rioters in prison did nothing wrong while simultaneously suggesting that all of those who carried out violence on Jan. 6 were actually the FBI, antifa, or a host of other scapegoats.
Meanwhile, the bloodshed continues unabated in Israel and Palestine.
