Rep. Rashida Tlaib holds up sign that says 'war criminal' during Netanyahu address
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., holds up a sign with the words 'war criminal' on it during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the United States Congress, July 24 2024.
Several commentators on social media condemned Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday with a sign calling him a "war criminal."
Netanyahu tore into Gaza cease-fire demonstrations across the U.S. and accused Iran of funding those protests during an impassioned address. While many have praised him for his leadership and for his speech to Americans, not all politicians were happy to see him, with several Democrats skipping the event.
Among those in the chamber was Tlaib, a Palestinian American who is one of Israel's harshest critics in the House of Representatives. Tlaib has called for Netanyahu to be arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC). She staged a silent protest for much of his speech, holding a double-sided sign that read "guilty of genocide" on one side and "war criminal" on the other.
Fox News Digital observed a member of the House sergeant-at-arms' staff speaking to Tlaib multiple times, after which she put the sign down, but that didn’t stop social media from erupting over her display.
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib silently protested the speech (Getty Images)
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"Rashida Tlaib continues to be an absolute disgrace," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote of the display.
"In other news today, Rashida Tlaib identified as a war criminal during the speech by the Israeli Prime Minister. While we knew that she was a lawbreaker, we had no idea she'd been in a war and broke the law. Not surprised," The Blaze contributor Allen Mashburn wrote, joking that the sign applied to Tlaib.
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton condemned the congresswoman, "Breaking: Terrorist supporter sits in Congress."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress (Getty Images)
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"Tlaib turned herself into a meme," reporter Ryan Saavedra wrote.
Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins jokingly edited the photo to instead have the sign say, "Stop aborting babies," and responded, "So true, Congresswoman Tlaib!"
Tlaib also defended her display on X, sharing a photo and writing, "I will never back down in speaking truth to power. The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent."
Tlaib and the House Sergeant of Arms did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
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Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
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