Tlaib Inadvertently Praises Jewish Sovereignty over Judea in Hanukkah Message
Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, an outspoken enemy of Israel, posted Hanukkah greetings that were not well received by the Jewish community and which many found outright insulting.
Does Tlaib Even Know What Hanukkah Is?
“I’d like to wish my Jewish neighbors a Happy Hanukkah,” Tlaib tweeted. “Hanukkah inspires me, especially during this difficult time. I hope we can all remember that even in the most unexpected moments, miracles can happen.”
Hanukkah, commemorating the Jewish victory over the Seleucid empire thereby achieving independence in Israel, is in direct contradiction of a statement made by Tlaib last month in which she expressed solidarity with the “Palestinians” by quoting the genocidal motto of Hamas, “From the river to the sea” calling for the annihilation of Israel.
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Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic, responded by emphasizing the connection between the holiday and Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel.
Just noting that the Hanukkah miracle to which she refers is the restoration of Jewish sovereignty over the land of Israel.https://t.co/vcPjIpHaKf
— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) December 11, 2020
The Democratic Majority for Israel responded to Talib’s tweet, noting the implicit irony.
“Hanukkah is the 2,187-year-old story of the Jewish people overthrowing the foreign empire that had taken over the Land of Israel & restoring Jewish sovereignty in their own land,” the organization tweeted.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a retired British Army officer and a powerful pro-Israel advocate, gave a more military response to Tlaib, noting the more current history of Jerusalem which emphasized its connection to the Jewish people.
Remarkable things happen at Hanukkah. 2nd Century BC, Jews regained control of Jerusalem. 1917, Ottomans surrendered Jerusalem to the British, paving the way for the eventual re-creation of the State of Israel. 2020 on the same day peace was announced with a 6th Arab state. pic.twitter.com/vhB5CUPTmG
— Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ Kᴇᴍᴘ ⋁ (@COLRICHARDKEMP) December 10, 2020
Elder of Ziyon, a pro-Israel blogger, tweeted that Hanukkah commemorated the “Maccabean conquest of Palestine.
Tlaib’s History of Horrid Hanukkah Greetings
Tlaib has a history of Hanukkah greetings that are not well received. Last year, Tlaib sent a video Hannukah greeting to the anti-Israel Jewish group, IfNotNow, praising them for their work in battling “the occupation in Falastine”. The greeting was ironic since Hanukkah celebrates the Jewish victory over the Seleucid occupiers of Israel and their Hellenized Jewish enablers. It should also be noted that the Romans renamed Judea to “Palestine” to insult the defeated Jews.
In 2019, Tlaib was named one most prominent proponents of anti-Semitism by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
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