Over the weekend, the Intercept reported on a new Senate bill that would stand with Israel in defiance of the anti-Semitic BDS movement:
U.S. Senate's first bill, in midst of shutdown, is a bipartisan defense of the Israeli government from boycotts https://t.co/KPL79eh1rg by @ryangrim @ggreenwald
— The Intercept (@theintercept) January 5, 2019
Bernie Sanders wasn’t exactly thrilled about it:
It’s absurd that the first bill during the shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity. Democrats must block consideration of any bills that don’t reopen the government. Let's get our priorities right. https://t.co/rHvpBHtHI5
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 6, 2019
Lead sponsor Marco Rubio pushed back against Sanders’ condemnation:
This is a lie.
My bill doesn’t punish any political activity. It protects the right of local & state govts that decide to no longer do business with those who boycott #Israel.
So boycotting #Israel is a constitutional right,but boycotting those participating in #BDS isn’t? https://t.co/kY9MSmBkkh
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 7, 2019
But for what it’s worth, New Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib was pretty pissed about the bill as well, and she let her followers know about it:
They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order, then get back to opening up our government instead of taking our rights away. https://t.co/KkmqjR58ZM
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 7, 2019
Did you catch that? Marco Rubio did:
This “dual loyalty” canard is a typical anti-Semitic line#BDS isn’t about freedom & equality, it’s about destroying #Israel
And if boycotting #Israel is constitutionally protected, then boycotting companies that boycott #Israel is also constitutionally protected https://t.co/6yBM0bQB5L
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 7, 2019
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“They forget what country they represent.” Real subtle, Rashida.
They did not “forget what country they represent.” They can be entirely wrong and worthy of criticism without resorting the old anti-Semitic dual-loyalty canard.
— Judah Ariel (@judahariel) January 7, 2019
We can’t help but wonder: Where’s the outcry from the usual dog-whistle experts?
bark bark… anybody?
— Richard Grayson ???? (@hintofgray95) January 7, 2019
Isn’t there an anti-Semitism dog around here?
Oddly, many of those who hear dog whistles for a living aren't exactly perking up at Tlaib accusing her critics of dual loyalty. Nor, for that matter, did they have much to say about Omar's "Israel has hypnotized the world" tweet. https://t.co/Bi1qbZvUI4
— Sandy Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) January 7, 2019
Funny, that.
And I don't think it's a deafness to anti-Semitism. The media seems more than capable of hearing the dog whistles in alt-right stuff (to the extent they even bother dog-whistling).
— Sandy Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) January 7, 2019
Nor did anyone seem to notice that the person who not two weeks ago was profiled in the New York Times for being at the center of an anti-Semitism scandal was in the Capitol with her arm around both. Everyone must have missed it.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 7, 2019
Probably still recovering from the holidays or something.
Meanwhile, if Tlaib really wants to raise doubts about commitment to upholding American values, she should probably put those stones down first:
You have some very interesting priorities for someone to accuse other people of representing a foreign government. pic.twitter.com/LWJlgS21LH
— Ashley Rae Goldenberg (@Communism_Kills) January 7, 2019
Speaking of forgetting country u represent, Tlaib was born in Detroit but takes pains to represent herself as a hyphenated “Palestinian-American.” She celebrated her primary victory w/ a Palestinian flag. As new rep, she pledged to fight for “Palestinian issues”. What about USA? https://t.co/0zq1S6cL3z
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 7, 2019
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