A support group of Jewish US Congress members is defending Representative Rashida Tlaib against a racist cartoon published in the National Review. The cartoon depicted her as a terrorist with an exploding pager at her desk, referencing recent explosions in Lebanon. Tlaib, the only Palestinian Muslim in Congress, spoke out against the cartoon, and now seven Jewish Congress members are standing with her in condemnation.
The group’s statement condemns the cartoon as Islamophobic and anti-Arab, emphasizing the need for solidarity against hate towards Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities. The Jewish Congress members include Sara Jacobs, Becca Balint, Suzanne Bonamici, Seth Magaziner, Jamie Raskin, Susan Wild, and Jerry Nadler.
The explosions in Lebanon, believed to be linked to Israel, have resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, deemed a war crime by human rights organizations. The violence continues, with over 500 killed and 1,700 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon as of Tuesday morning.