Rashida Tlaib: 'War Criminal' Activist or Politician?

Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic representative from Michigan, has come under fire for protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Tlaib held up a sign that read "war criminal," which drew condemnation from both sides of the aisle.

Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic representative from Michigan, has come under fire for protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Tlaib held up a sign that read "war criminal," which drew condemnation from both sides of the aisle.

Tlaib, a Palestinian American, is one of Israel's harshest critics in the House of Representatives. She has called for Netanyahu to be arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC). She staged a silent protest for much of his speech, holding a double-sided sign that read "guilty of genocide" on one side and "war criminal" on the other.

Rashida Tlaib: 'War Criminal' Activist or Politician?

Tlaib's protest drew immediate condemnation from Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Tlaib's display "an absolute disgrace." The Blaze contributor Allen Mashburn joked that the sign applied to Tlaib, writing, "While we knew that she was a lawbreaker, we had no idea she'd been in a war and broke the law. Not surprised."

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton condemned Tlaib, calling her a "terrorist supporter."

Rashida Tlaib: 'War Criminal' Activist or Politician?

Democrats were more divided in their reaction to Tlaib's protest. Some, like Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., defended Tlaib's right to protest. Omar said that Tlaib was "standing up for what she believes in."

Others, like Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., criticized Tlaib's protest. Schultz said that Tlaib's sign was "unproductive" and that it "detracted from the important issues that were being discussed."

Rashida Tlaib: 'War Criminal' Activist or Politician?

Tlaib defended her protest on Twitter, writing, "I will never back down in speaking truth to power. 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."

Tlaib's protest highlights the deep divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue of Israel. Tlaib is part of a growing group of progressive Democrats who are critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. These Democrats believe that Israel is committing human rights abuses and that the United States should do more to pressure Israel to change its policies.

Rashida Tlaib: 'War Criminal' Activist or Politician?

More moderate Democrats, like Wasserman Schultz, believe that Tlaib's protest was counterproductive. They argue that it alienated potential allies and made it more difficult to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The debate over Tlaib's protest is likely to continue in the coming weeks and months. It is a sign of the deep divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue of Israel, and it is a reminder that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most intractable conflicts in the world.