‘Squad’ Member Rashida Tlaib Holds ‘War Criminal’ Sign As Netanyahu Addresses Congress

Benjamin Netanyahu, in his address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol labelled American anti-genocide protesters as “useful idiots.” He then received a standing ovation. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, however, stayed seated and held up a sign that read “WAR CRIMINAL”.

On July 23rd, Tlaib had posted on X, formerly Twitter, “Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.”

Tlaib, the lone American member of Congress who is Palestinian, boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit on Wednesday by donning a keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag pin.

In her full statement, the congresswoman wrote, “Since 1948, the US has provided more than $141 billion in weapons to the Israeli government to fund the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, including $17.9 billion since October. Netanyahu’s apartheid regime has already slaughtered over 39,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 15,000 children. Yet my colleagues and the Biden Administration continue to approve more funding and send more weapons—even as innocent children like Hind Rajab are targeted with 355 bullets, shot in the head by Israeli snipers, burned to death in their tents with US-made weapons, bombed while playing at school, deliberately starved to death, and Palestinians are bombed in refugee camps and discovered in mass graves, naked and with their hands tied, all live-streamed for the world to see. These are undeniably war crimes under international law.”

She continued, “Make no mistake: this event is a celebration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. It is a sad day for our democracy when my colleagues will smile for a photo op with a man who is actively committing genocide. It is hypocritical to claim to be concerned about the massive death toll of innocent civilians, and then turn around and welcome the person responsible for these war crimes to our Capitol. Their silence is betrayal, and history will remember them accordingly. Our government must stop supporting and funding this genocide now.”