Censure of US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib raises concerns over threats to free speech

The censure this week of the only Palestinian member of the US Congress has galvanised both sides of the political aisle.

Critics of Representative Rashida Tlaib are using this moment to make an example of her, focusing on her use of a popular protest chant, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", to accuse her of "antisemitism", while her supporters as well as free speech advocates, worry about the precedent set by this move.

"It's been one month of unequivocal support for Israel. It's not super surprising that this happened. They truly want to silence pals of their humanity," Muhammad Sankari, a Chicago chapter member of the US Palestinian Community Network, told The New Arab.

Tlaib, who came to office in the "blue wave" midterm election of 2018, has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians since becoming a member of Congress. Her bold statements have earned her the ire of the much of the political establishment and a following among Arabs and Muslims, many of whom have long felt voiceless in the US political process.

"It's a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 10,000. Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them, but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions," said Tlaib in a public statement in response to the censure resolutions against her.

"Rather than acknowledge the voice and perspective of the only Palestinian American in Congress, my colleagues have resorted to distorting my positions in resolutions filled with obvious lies. I have repeatedly denounced the horrific targeting and killing of civilians by Hamas and the Israeli government and have mourned the Israeli and Palestinian lives lost," she asserted.

The move to censure Tlaib came last month when Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has blamed Jewish space lasers for California wildfires, introduced the symbolic resolution. It did not see enough support to pass. Then, Representative Rich McCormick of Georgia introduced another reworded resolution, and it was approved in the House by a vote of 234-188, with all but four Republicans supporting it and with 22 Democrats voting for it.

One of the main arguments for Tlaib's censure was her use of the expression "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", which her critics claim is a rallying cry for genocide. However, the phrase has for decades been used by secular activists to advocate for a multicultural state. In addition, a similar phrase is included in the far-right Israeli Likud party's charter that talks about Israel having sole authority and sovereignty over all the land. 

After Tlaib took to the House floor and spoke out against the move to censure her, several of her progressive colleagues spoke defiantly about the loss of Palestinian lives in the ongoing conflict. 

In addition to the statements about Palestinian human rights, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, himself Jewish, raised the issue of free speech, which has been a major concern since the outbreak of the conflict a month ago. Employees have lost jobs over their public support for Palestinians.

"At this moment when democracy is under siege all over the world, America must stand tall for the Constitution. But this Resolution is about one thing and one thing only: the punishment of speech," said Raskin on the House floor.

"So we have the chance to show the world what the American Constitution means and how we hold fast to our core principles even when we are drawn away from them by our passions and our righteous anger," he continued.

Sankari also sees Tlaib's censure as a precedent to undermine freedom of expression.

"This is to lay the foundation to repress the Palestinian movement in the US," he said. "I'm worried we're setting the stage for a massive campaign of repression in this country."