US congresswoman says 'Palestinian people are not disposable’

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Rep. Rashida Tlaib became emotional on Tuesday during her speech on the floor of the House of Representatives amid a debate over a resolution seeking to censure her.

Facing her second censure resolution for criticizing Israel, Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, emphasized the humanity of the Palestinian people.

"I can't believe we have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable," said the congresswoman representing Michigan. "We are human beings just like anyone else."

Holding a photograph up for her fellow House members to see, Tlaib continued: "My grandmother, like all Palestinians, just wants to live her life with freedom and human dignity we all deserve."

"Speaking up to save lives -- no matter faith, no matter ethnicity -- should not be controversial in this chamber. The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. What I don't understand is why the cries of Palestinian children sound different to you all. We cannot lose our shared humanity," she added.

The resolution, introduced by Republican Rep. Rich McCormick, accuses Tlaib of "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”

The first resolution, introduced by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene last week, was quashed by House Democrats with the support of some Republicans.

Israel launched air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday that the death toll from Israeli’s intensified onslaught on the Gaza Strip since then has risen to 10,328.

Among those killed are 4,237 children and 2,719 women, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said at a press conference.

More than 25,956 others have been wounded as a result of attacks by Israeli forces on Gaza, he added.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.

Amid the soaring death toll, basic necessities are increasingly running out in Gaza after Israel imposed a "full siege" on the enclave that has ground humanitarian aid deliveries to a near halt.