Group of Jewish US Congress members stand by Rashida Tlaib over racist pager cartoon

A group of Jewish US Congress members have issued a statement of support for Representative Rashida Tlaib following a cartoon last week in the National Review depicting her as having a pager exploding at her desk, appearing to depict her as a terrorist.

The cartoon was published in the conservative publication in reference to recent explosions of pagers used by the Lebanese party and militia Hezbollah, a group designated as a "terrorist organisation" by the US government. 

As the only Palestinian Muslim in Congress, the magazine's targeting of Tlaib appears to be depicting her for her background, which she spoke out about immediately following the publication of the cartoon. At least seven Jewish members of Congress are now joining her in their condemnation.

"As Jewish Members of Congress, we condemn this appalling and hateful cartoon depicting our colleague, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, as a terrorist and making a dangerous joke about a pager exploding at her desk," their statement reads.

"While none of us always agrees with Representative Tlaib (just as she surely does not always agree with any of us), that is no reason to excuse this toxically Islamophobic and anti-Arab affront," the statement continues. 

The group of Jewish Congress members conclude their statement by noting that there is a rise in violence against Arabs, Muslims and Jews like, something that should bring the communities together in solidarity against hate.

"At a time of rising violence against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities alike, we must stand together in solidarity against ethnic scapegoating and hateful provocations, which are often the prelude to actual racial violence and attack," they write.

The Congress members behind the letter are: Sara Jacobs of California, Becca Balint of Vermont, Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, and Jerry Nadler of New York.

The explosions of pagers, which later included walkie-talkies, and are believed to have come from Israel, have caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries to Lebanese, many of them civilians. The Israeli-linked attack is considered a war crime by human rights and international organisations.

As of Tuesday morning, indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have killed around 500 and injured over 1,700.