Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib met with supporters Friday at a Shabbat event in Detroit sponsored by a left-wing Jewish group that backs the boycott of Israel. The event took place after Tlaib said she would not visit her family in the West Bank despite being granted permission by Jerusalem.
Tlaib requested and was allowed to visit her grandmother on humanitarian grounds after she and Rep. Ilhan Omar on Thursday were barred from visiting the West Bank and Jerusalem in their capacity as US lawmakers because of their support for boycotting Israel. She changed her mind about the family trip hours after it was approved on Friday, citing its “humiliating” terms.
The Detroit News reported that around 60 people attended the event in Detroit’s Pallister Park organized by Jewish Vote for Peace, a new group that describes itself as the sister organization to Jewish Voice for Peace and as its political and advocacy arm. Jewish Voice for Peace supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
Organizers called the event “Shabbat in the Park with Rashida.” Video from the scene showed attendees reciting prayers and singing songs in Hebrew and holding signs with the slogan “Dignity from Detroit to Palestine” (Tlaib represents Michigan’s 13th congressional district, which includes parts of Detroit).
“Thank you for uplifting peace, love and justice. Thank you for not politicizing what has happened to me because I’m still a granddaughter,” a tearful Tlaib told the group. “I cannot tell you how much love I feel here.”
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