Intel: How the latest freshman-establishment spat is laying bare Democrats’ Palestinian problem
An escalating feud between freshman Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Minn., and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is laying bare Democrats’ gaping divide over Israel.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #0463c1; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0463c1} span.s3 {font: 9.0px 'Times New Roman'; font-kerning: none} An escalating feud between freshman Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Minn., and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is laying bare Democrats’ gaping divide over Israel.
Why it matters: Democrats are in a pickle over their left-wing base’s increasing frustration with the plight of the Palestinians. Rising anti-Israel rhetoric risks scaring Jewish voters and others toward the Republican Party, which is exploiting the Democratic rift to the hilt.
“Listen and learn”: The latest skirmish began this week when Al-Monitor asked Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., about Tlaib’s plans to replace the traditional visits organized by the pro-Israel lobby with trips to the West Bank that highlight the Palestinian experience. Engel shot down the idea, saying Tlaib “ought to listen and learn and open her mind and then come to some conclusions.”
She shot back Wednesday with a fiery tweet.
