Democrat Rashida Tlaib Slams Biden for Backing Palestinian 'Genocide': "We Will Remember in 2024"

Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic Representative from Michigan, has called out President Joe Biden for supporting 'genocide' against the Palestinian people in the ongoing Israel conflict. Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, has been outspoken in her criticism of the Biden administration's stance on the genocide, and her remarks have raised significant questions about the political ramifications of the 2024 presidential election.

Tlaib's reproach was made in a social media video in which she urged President Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region, something the administration has so far refused to do, reported CNN. "Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one. We will remember in 2024," she said.

The video, which included pictures of 'Free Palestine' protests across the United States, also contained the following text: "Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people" and “The American people won’t forget." It also had a message for the current President: "Biden, support the ceasefire now, or don’t count on us in 2024." Tlaib's remarks reflect her longstanding support for Palestinian rights as well as her growing dissatisfaction with the administration's handling of the crisis.

Genocide is defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Biden's stance on the Israel-Hamas war has been one of support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism; there has also been reluctance to call for a cease-fire. This perspective has been criticized not only by Tlaib but also by other progressive members of Congress and international organizations. The White House has remained silent in response to Tlaib's assertion and the growing dissent within the Democratic Party on the issue.

Previously, to counter Tlaib's stance, the Republican-led House of Representatives introduced a resolution to censure her for her anti-Israel remarks and support for Palestinians. Al-Jazeera reported that the bill, introduced by far-right Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, was defeated by a large bipartisan majority, with 23 Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.

Tlaib's words have sparked a debate within Congress as well as criticism from some fellow Democrats, reported NBC News. Tlaib had opposed the censure measure because it was based on bigotry. "I will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized, and I will not be silenced,” she said.

“I will continue to call for a ceasefire [in Gaza], for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, for the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained, and for every American to be brought home,” she said in a written statement. She also called Greene's resolution 'unhinged' and claimed it is "deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates."