Rashida Tlaib Spouts Politically Correct Anti-Semitism for the 21st Century

In generations past, anti-Semites accused Jews of slaughtering gentile children and using the blood as an ingredient in their matzos.

Most of the public is no longer duped into believing such literal blood libel, and contemporary anti-Semites instead direct accusations of treachery, greed, and trickery against the democratically elected government of Israel, rather than against Jewish individuals.

They call it “anti-Zionism.” In reality, it’s just the modern manifestation of anti-Semitism.

Today’s anti-Semitism portrays Israel as the villain despite the Jewish state’s perpetual struggle to defend itself against attacks from terrorists so full of hate they’re willing to strap bombs on their own children in order to inflict grief and loss on their Jewish neighbors.

Unable to succeed in the eradication of the Jewish nation militarily, today’s anti-Semites seek to delegitimize Israel through the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Here in the United States, Students for Justice in Palestine is one of most vocal proponents of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. A number of leaders of the student group’s parent organization—American Muslims for Palestine—were involved with the Holy Land Foundation, an entity convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas, according to the report.

Now, a congresswoman from the heart of the United States, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is carrying the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions banner, decrying the “racist policies of the government and state of Israel.”

As I wrote previously here, in reality, Israel is the Middle East’s only true democracy, one in which minority rights are protected. The right to vote, access to public health care, public education, freedom of speech, and protection of legal rights are enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of race and irrespective of religion.

As testament to this, 12 Arabs serve in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Arabs also make up a growing proportion—more than 16%—of undergraduate students. In fact, the number of Arab university students soared more than 78% in just seven years.

Additionally, many Arabs serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.

The Israeli government also protects the freedom of religion. Across Jerusalem—the capital of Israel—Muslims, Christians, and Jews (and others) are free to practice their faith. Mosques, churches, and synagogues operate within yards of each other. From the Western Wall bordering the holiest site of the Jewish faith, the Muslim call to prayer can be heard throughout the day.

Tlaib says that boycotting Israel is akin to boycotting the Nazi regime. She has it backward, in classic Orwellian fashion. Leading up to the Holocaust, Nazi Germany boycotted, divested, and sanctioned Jewish businesses. Some 75 years later, relatively few Jews remain in Germany.

The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees the right to engage even in hateful speech. But civil society has an obligation to condemn and expose such speech, even—perhaps especially—if it’s emanating from a member of Congress.

The nearly unanimous act of Congress on July 23 on a vote of 398 to 17 condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement was a much-needed display of moral clarity.

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