McCarthy's attempts to erase Nakba, Palestine failed: Rashida Tlaib

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 May 2023 12:02
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US House Speaker attempts to block a Nakba event featuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib were to no avail as it was eventually held at the Dirksen Senate building.

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaking at the event commutating Nakba on May 11, 2023 (Twitter)

An event sponsored by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib meant to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba (directly translated from Arabic means catastrophe), which was perpetrated by the Israeli occupation 75 years ago.

From forceful expulsions to massacres, wiping out entire families, and seizure of lands and homes. "Israel" did do all that during the Nakba in 1948, and the occupation, along with all its arbitrary practices, is still ongoing until this very day.

Israeli media reveal that squads from the Israeli Ministry of Security hid historical documents related to the Israeli nuclear project and evidence of mass killings and destruction of villages during the #Nakba.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/fqImDMWGSE
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 24, 2022

See more: “Israeli Independence Day” is the Nakba for Palestinians

Republican House Minority Leader McCarthy deliberately interfered late Tuesday to reserve the Capitol Visitor Center space where Tlaib – the first Palestinian-American US Congresswoman – planned to host a Wednesday event, as per a spokesperson for McCarthy.

"This event in the US Capitol is canceled. Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the US-Israel relationship," McCarthy tweeted.

"As long as I’m speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion," he earlier stated.

Let the headlines read “McCarthy tries to erase Palestine but fails.” https://t.co/iyUX9AVY4p pic.twitter.com/iMxCAMTVWy
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) May 11, 2023

Tlaib responded in a tweet, saying, "Let the headlines read McCarthy tries to erase Palestine but fails.”

Earlier, Tlaib defied McCarthy's decision, saying "McCarthy wants to rewrite history and erase the existence and truth of the Palestinian people, but he has failed to do so. This event is planned to bring awareness about the Nakba and create space for Palestinian Americans who experienced the Nakba firsthand to tell their stories of trauma and survival.”

“We fully plan on moving forward with this event and we will continue to ensure that Palestinian voices are heard. We will not be silenced,” Tlaib added in the statement.

Despite all McCarthy's attempts, the event was eventually held at the Dirksen Senate building, just not on the House side as originally planned, and due to the last-minute location change, staff claimed they couldn’t issue permits to allow filming.

Numerous attendees filled the space to the entrance and were standing around the room's boundaries.

Urged by the ADL, Speaker Kevin McCarthy cancelled a 75th Nakba Commemoration. Today, Palestinians and allies managed to organize the event in another room to a packed house and outflow outside. Free Palestine from Capital Hill to every city, town and village in Palestine! pic.twitter.com/wHulY7ly8C
— Dr. Hatem Bazian (@HatemBazian) May 10, 2023

The title of Tlaib's event was "Nakba 75 & the Palestinian People, an educational community event featuring special guest, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib."

According to the invitation, “May 15th marks 75 years since the beginning of the Nakba, which means ‘catastrophe.’ Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli military violently expelled approximately three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel.”

This is the Nakba commemoration Kevin McCarthy "blocked," which was actually held in the hearing rm of Sen. Bernie Sanders' Senate cmttee. @JGreenblattADL cheered the MAGA GOP functionary 4 silencing Palestine. But it was not 2 B denied. Gambit failed. Standing room only crowd. pic.twitter.com/Fqkt8a40ya
— Tikun Olam (@richards1052) May 11, 2023

“To uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba, and educate Members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians, we’ve partnered together to host this congressional and community educational event, to be followed immediately afterward by dinner,” the invite read.