‘Cruel and Hateful’: Michigan Attorney General Demands Rashida Tlaib ‘Retract’ Genocidal Hamas Chant

River to the Sea - Palestinian descent US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib takes part in a demo
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
Olivia Rondeau

Michigan’s attorney general is calling on fellow Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to “retract” the use of a “cruel and hateful” statement she used to sympathize with Palestinians that has a deeper, genocidal background.

“From the river to the sea” is a popular chant used by sympathizers of the antisemitic Islamist militant group Hamas, who want to wipe Israel completely from the map. Tlaib used this phrase Friday in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, in a plea to President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) said she had defended the far-left congresswoman “countless times” because she believed her “heart was in the right place,” but asked for a retraction.

“@RashidaTlaib, I have supported and defended you countless times, even when you have said the indefensible, because I believed you to be a good person whose heart was in the right place,” Nessel wrote on X.

“But this is so hurtful to so many. Please retract this cruel and hateful remark.”

Nessel’s comments came after Tlaib began defending the genocidal chant after receiving backlash for including it in her Pro-Palestine video. 

“From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate,” the “Squad” member wrote. “My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity.”

The backlash also came from several prominent Republicans, who reminded Tlaib of the history behind the phrase.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) wrote on X, “From the river to the sea is a rallying call for the erasing of the State of Israel. If that’s aspirational to you, that’s a problem. Stand With Israel.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called for Tlaib to resign.

“Terrorist Tlaib is promoting the genocide of all Jewish people in Israel and calls it aspirational,” the Georgia congresswoman posted. “‘From the river to the sea’ means to wipe out all the Jews and take their land from the river to sea. You should resign and go to Gaza and fight on the front lines for Hamas.”

Greene also on Saturday announced her plan to reintroduce her failed resolution to formally censure Tlaib in the U.S. House for her role in the pro-Palestine protest that saw hundreds of supporters illegally occupying the U.S. Capitol building.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.