Rashida Tlaib has received support amid a continued backlash over her comments about the Israel-Hamas war.
In a blog, conservative legal analyst Jonathan Turley defended the Democratic congresswoman, who was earlier this month censured in the House of Representatives for her use of the controversial slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and for urging lawmakers to join her to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, amid calls for her to be investigated by the State Bar of Michigan.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which prompted the state to carry out extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Tlaib sparked controversy for her reaction to the conflict, calling the contentious "river to the sea" chant, which the Anti-Defamation League describes as "an antisemitic slogan" for allegedly advocating for the dismantling of Israel, as it references the Jordan River on Israel's eastern border and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, an "aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate."
The House of Representatives voted this month to censure the Democrat from Michigan, and only Palestinian American in Congress, by 234 votes to 188.
In his blog post, Turley said while he disagreed with her remarks, sanctioning her "would be inimical to free speech."
He wrote: "While I have been critical of Tlaib over her rhetoric and claims on the Hamas attack and later war, I believe that such sanctions would be inimical to free speech and pull the bar into political controversies."
"The bar is not the proper forum for such controversies," he added. "The action could make it more likely that sanctions will be used in the future against other political viewpoints."
Turley said the phrase "from the river to the sea" was "a political slogan and its use would be protected speech under the First Amendment."
"If political advocacy can be used as the basis for disbarment or sanctions, the chilling effect would be glacial," he said.
"As members of the free speech community, we often advocate for the speech rights of those with whom we disagree. I have long disagreed with Rep. Tlaib on a host of issues, including the Hamas massacre. However, this action would cross a dangerous line in the sanctioning of political speech in my view."
His comments follow the free speech advocacy group Coolidge Reagan Foundation calling on the State Bar of Michigan on Wednesday to probe Tlaib, who is an active attorney in Michigan, over her comments.
Addressed to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, the complaint said:
"This request arises from Attorney Tlaib's false, discriminatory, and antisemitic comments regarding the horrific massacre and other crimes the international terrorist group Hamas ruthlessly unleashed against innocent Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, including kidnapping, rape, beheading children, burning people alive, and murdering a baby by placing him in an oven. In response to these atrocities, Attorney Tlaib made several public statements evincing deeply discriminatory, antisemitic views that call into question her character and fitness to practice law."
It added: "The State Bar of Michigan should initiate an investigation and impose appropriate sanctions against an attorney who spreads antisemitic propaganda and lies in support of an officially designated Foreign Terrorist Organization."
Newsweek contacted the State Bar of Michigan and Tlaib by email to comment on this story.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has agreed to a ceasefire after approving a deal with Hamas that calls for the release of hostages being held by the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials estimate that Hamas and allied Palestinian factions took more than 240 people hostage and killed more than 1,200 during its October 7 attack.
As of Friday, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the Associated Press reported, citing Hamas-run Health Ministry figures. Officials there say roughly 6,000 people are missing.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more
