I have a lot of patience in life and am very tolerant of others, but not of hatred. While I may completely disagree with someone, he or she has the right, in my opinion, to say what they want. However, there are obvious exceptions to that idea, including hate speech and revisionist history. The classic case is the prohibition to scream “fire!” in a crowded theater, unless of course, there is a fire.
As I said, that tolerance of mine ends when it comes to hate speech and revisionist history. Let’s take as an example the issue of slavery in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. If I were to make the following statements, I wonder how the average African-American would react: 1) The plantation owners of the South were instrumental in freeing the slaves and providing them a safe haven. 2) Blacks are lazy anyways and enslaving them was a good thing. 3) Blacks steal, so that was the only way to keep them in check–with servitude.
Obviously, those statements are both viciously and rabidly racist and filled with stereotypes. In addition, the first statement flies in the face of history. It is, actually, the opposite of history. Now, if I were to post a statement on Facebook or Twitter alleging those claims above, I would be roundly condemned and vilified (and rightfully so!).
Having said all of that, let us now take a look at the despicable things that Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib uttered the other day (among many other utterances of late!):
“There’s always kind of a calming feeling when I think of the tragedy of the Holocaust, that it was my ancestors – Palestinians – who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity and their existence, in many ways, has been wiped out… in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, [my emphasis] post-Holocaust, post-tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that in many ways.”
Tlaib’s hatred of Jews and Israel is well documented, and it is not necessary for me to elaborate on that here. However, there are points here that bear inspection and condemnation.
Let’s start with the most outrageous claim of all, that the “palestinians” wished to create a safe haven for the Jews after the Holocaust. Tlaib completely ignores history with this statement! During the war, Arabs snuggled up to the Nazis, as is also well documented. In this famous picture below, Haj-Amin-al-Huseini (the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem) is seen conferring with Hitler.
In addition, the claim that AFTER the war, her ancestors wanted to create a safe haven for the Jews is also complete revisionism. As a matter of fact, today as I write these words, seventy-one years ago exactly, Israel declared its independence from the British. On May 14, 1948, the day that the Arabs refer to as Al Nakba, or the catastrophe, Tlaib claims that her ancestors were welcoming us with open arms. Instead, millions of her ancestors decided to attempt to slaughter the Jews and wipe the nascent state off the map.
Perhaps one of her aids in Congress can show her how to use Google so she may see for herself. Just saying it and/or just wishing it does not make it true.
Truth is based on facts.The facts remain that rather than try to help those fleeing the murderous Nazis, Tlaib’s ancestors were trying to finish off the job.
There are many who are condemning Tlaib about her remarks regarding the Holocaust itself. I chose to leave that out of this discussion and focus merely on the one issue: Tlaib lies about history; Tlaib lies about the Arabs’ complicity in the murder of Jews and Tlaib lies about her ancestors’ actions.
Evidently, there are enough people who live in her district that believed that she would make a good political representative. In truth they may be correct. She would have done very well in the Reichstag.