Friend,

Earlier this week, the House GOP, along with 22 Democrats, voted to censure my friend, my sister-in-service, and the only Palestinian-American in Congress, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

I stood with Rashida on the House floor in solidarity, and I'm reaching out today to call out the hypocrisy of this cowardly censure — the hypocrisy of targeting a duly-elected member of Congress bravely representing and advocating on behalf of her constituents, her family, and her beliefs.

In truth, this act is just one part of a pattern. A pattern of dehumanization, dismissal, and denial of Palestinian human rights.

For decades, our political discourse failed to acknowledge the humanity of Palestinians, much less included the voices of Muslims like Rashida and me.

For decades, our politicians have routinely denied and turned a blind eye on the occupation of the West Bank. They've re-written history, denying the Nakba — the mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 — ever took place.

Some even deny the existence of Palestinians as a people.

Routine settler violence against Palestinian civilians, the demolition of Palestinians’ ancestral homes, the destruction of their lands, and the brutalization, subjugation, and pain inflicted on the Palestinian people are too-often met with impunity by Israeli forces and enablement by the United States.

Independent human-rights groups — including Israel’s own B’Tselem — have repeatedly reported that Israel's violations of international law amount to the crime of apartheid. These independent reports are then shamefully slandered as anti-Semitic.

Over the past month, in the wake of this war, we have witnessed blatantly-genocidal rhetoric from leading Republicans.

Senator Lindsey Graham went on national television to declare a “religious war," saying we should "level " the Gaza Strip — a 141-square-mile area of over 2 million people, over half of them children.

Marco Rubio, when asked specifically about avoiding civilian casualties in Gaza, said Israel cannot co-exist with “these savages." That "they have to be eradicated.”

Max Miller went on television to tell the world that Gaza would be "turned into a parking lot."

Where is the outcry for that? Where is their censure on the floor of the U.S. Congress?

Moreover, where is the condemnation of the killing of over 10,000+ Palestinians in Gaza?

As Rashida said herself, she will not be silenced and she will not let anyone distort her words. Her perspective is needed now more than ever.

I am proud to stand with Rashida today and all days — and together, alongside this movement, we will do all that we can to advance the cause of dignity, humanity, and peace for ALL in the face of oppression here and across the globe.

Thank you for reading.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar