Late last month, 17-year-old Israeli Rina Shnerb was killed in a terrorist bombing. Her brother and father were seriously injured. Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib took the opportunity to unequivocally condemn Palestinian terrorism.
We kid, of course. Tlaib took the opportunity to condemn Israel for making terrorists want to murder Israelis:
This is absolutely tragic & horrible. My heart goes out to Rina's family. More than ever we need to support nonviolent approaches to ending the Israeli occupation and guaranteeing equal rights for all. Extremism that puts innocent lives at risk moves us no closer to peace. https://t.co/lQ4qrYf6ig
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 24, 2019
On August 22, 21-year-old Israa Ghrayeb, a Palestinian woman from Bethlehem, died, the victim of an alleged honor killing by her brother. And once again, Tlaib could not resist taking the opportunity to lay the blame for Ghrayeb’s death at Israel’s feet:
"Isra’s death illustrates an ever-present toxic masculinity and control over women’s bodies and lives."
Help get #JusticeforIsraa by exposing the truth: https://t.co/YghpBO6l0V pic.twitter.com/QkrpBRx63h
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 1, 2019
“The truth,” according to Tlaib, is evidently that Israel is ultimately responsible for Ghrayeb’s death. The article linked by Tlaib condemns honor killings, but there’s more to it than that (note: the article was written last month before word of Ghrayeb’s death had spread further):
Now, the statements I’ve written in that paragraph are gross generalizations BUT they are reflective of current social and political power structures present in Palestine, in the occupation, and even in diasporic activism. Isra’s murder this past week sent a message to the world. When it comes to power structures, women’s bodies are always tools to reinforce some sort of ideal, whether honor, or pink-washing, or even national liberation (will explain this part later on so bear with me). When we’re talking about women’s bodies, we’re rarely ever just talking about bodies. We’re really talking about power. As long as power and socio-political constructs around bodies remain connected, then tools like honor will continue to be used to exert power and to oppress.
Now, here’s why Isra’s murderers stand to walk away from this untouched by the law. In Palestine, our legal system is the result of a century of occupation and political turmoil. It is a combination of Ottoman, British, Egyptian (in Gaza), Jordanian (in the West bank), and even no system (Area C). Despite various and continued efforts over the last decade, there has been very little reform to this outdated and dysfunctional legal system for two reasons: Israeli military occupation and a corrupt Palestinian Authority both hinder any legal, economic, and social progress.
…
What may surprise you is that the story of Isra’s murder has not gone viral in the diaspora. You’ll find that (at the time that this was written) there is not a single news story written in English about her. Right now there are Arabic articles (this story has rightfully taken the Arab world by storm) and doubtless some Hebrew articles being published by some Zionist news outlets to try and pink-wash occupation (again lol).
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This is how Tlaib chose to respond to Ghrayeb’s death? By endorsing an article blaming “toxic masculinity” and Israel and impugning “Zionist news outlets” who have covered the story?
• Isra was a 21 year old Palestinian girl.
• Isra was murdered by her own Palestinian brothers in a honor killing.
• Isra was murdered in a Palestinian controlled West Bank hospital.@RashidaTlaib tweets article blaming Jews for her murder.What antisemitism looks like ?? https://t.co/VyDp0CUnJJ
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) September 2, 2019
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) September 2, 2019
”Here’s why Isra’s murderers stand to walk away from this untouched… In Palestine, our legal system is the result of a century of occupation… there has been very little reform to this outdated and dysfunctional legal system for two reasons: Israeli military occupation…”
— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) September 2, 2019
Unreal.
That is disingenuous.
— DeborahAKallick (@DebAKallick) September 2, 2019
You can't just call it an honor killing?
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) September 2, 2019
It was an “honor killing.” This isn’t a masculine problem. It’s a cultural problem. https://t.co/NnRwzUrJ7A
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 2, 2019
Making this even a little bit about "the occupation" is counterfactual and pathological.
— DonQuixoteDeLaOylam (@DonQuixoteOylam) September 2, 2019
What does it mean when a Palestinian woman can't call out her own people for these actions, the culture and lack of law and order that enable them? As a religious woman who pushes back against extremism in my community, I'm disgusted at your apathy & politicization of her death
— Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll (@skjask) September 2, 2019
I join you. Tlaib is shameless in her use of women – even her own family members, even young women murdered by family members – in support of her pathetic victim narrative: everything is the fault of the "occupation."
— Lori LowenthalMarcus (@LoriLMarcus) September 2, 2019
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