Rashida Tlaib’s ‘War Criminal’ Sign Amid Netanyahu Address Raises Eyebrows

Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib sent a clear message during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s address on Wednesday.

Netanyahu arrived in Washington, D.C., and delivered a highly anticipated speech to Congress on Wednesday. Several Democrats had voiced their opposition to Netanyahu’s arrival by declaring they wouldn’t attend his address. Tlaib took a different approach to protest the Israeli leader.

The Michigan lawmaker drew attention during the address when she raised signs reading “war criminal” and “guilty of genocide” throughout the speech, Newsweek reporter Alex Rouhandeh noted on X, formerly Twitter.

“A man in a suit, who appears to be a Capitol staff [member], whispered something in @RepRashida‘s ear, and she put down her side and has not been raising it since,” a follow-up post from Rouhandeh said.

“I will never back down in speaking truth to power,” Tlaib posted on X with a picture of her holding the sign. “The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent.”

Newsweek reached out to Tlaib’s office by phone for comment.

The signs drew the attention of attendees and elicited praise and backlash.

“Iran’s useful idiot,” South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted on X, including a photo of Tlaib displaying a sign that read “war criminal.”

“Rashida Tlaib continues to be an absolute disgrace,” Republican North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said.

Tlaib’s actions drew attention outside of Congress, as well.

“Rashida Tlaib is a terrorist,” Lebanese-American activist Brigitte Gabriel said.

Others, however, voiced support for Tlaib’s actions.

“Solidarity with @RashidaTlaib,” activist and former Democratic Ohio state Senator Nina Turner said, including an emoji of a Palestinian flag, a clenched fist and a purple heart.

“Drop her a donation if you can. We need to ensure people with moral courage and backbone stay in Congress,” Turner added.

Washington Post opinions journalist Rana Ayyub called Tlaib’s actions “brave.”

“As always, we stand with @RashidaTlaib,” the Jewish Voice for Peace Action posted.

Tlaib’s post came as the U.S. Capitol Police said that people gathered outside near where the speech was held were starting to “become violent.”

“The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line. We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line,” Capitol Police said on X.

A later post said that six people were arrested in the House galleries for alleged unlawful conduct.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said that the Netanyahu speech was “a setback” for U.S.-Israel relations that “very clearly” played to former President Donald Trump, according to Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio.

“I don’t agree with that assessment,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said to Newsweek regarding Murphy’s comments, adding that Netanyahu thanked President Joe Biden repeatedly during his speech and that some people “get triggered by the mere mention of Donald Trump.”

Murphy declined to respond directly to Rubio’s comments but explained his view, saying: “I don’t think creating an equivalence between everybody who opposes his policy and sympathy for Hamas is a good thing for U.S.-Israel relations. I don’t think engaging in broad associations with Republican messaging in [Trump’s] presidential campaign advances U.S.-Israel relations. I also don’t think I heard anything from him that explains how this war is going to end and how Hamas going to be defeated or how he’s going to control Gaza. There just wasn’t a lot of important substance in his speech.”

Update 7/24/24, 4:26 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.