On Sunday, while Gaza terrorists were launching rockets direcly at civilian neighborhoods in Israel, Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich), tweeted her response to a NY Times correspondent Isabel Kershner (not the loudest Hatikvah singers in the choir) headline that read: “Gaza Militants Fire 250 Rockets, and Israel Responds With Airstrikes.”
As a dedicated follower of world media coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, I, for one, must congratulate the Times for its chronological achievement, starting with the Gaza terrorists’ sudden rocket attack at 9:58 AM Saturday, then noting the Israeli airstrikes that began after 11 PM that same day. It was a refreshing break from the traditional world media headlines that usually read: “It Began When Israel Retaliated.”
Rashida Tlaib was not amused, and went on the attack: “When will the world stop dehumanizing our Palestinian people who just want to be free? Headlines like this & framing it in this way just feeds into the continued lack of responsibility on Israel who unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families.”
Here’s what Tlaib was referring to: on Friday, during a routine Hamas-pushed riot at the Gaza border fence, an Arab sniper shot at an IDF unit on the Israeli side, injuring a female soldier and an officer. The Israeli air force responded at once, killing between two and four Arab terrorists. The rockets on Saturday were in retaliation for the retaliation. Of course, if one were to challenge her chronological error, Tlaib would respond that Israel started it anyway, by existing, having captured land belonging to Arabs some 71 years ago.
Which was quickly supported by Yousef Munayyer, who was born in Lod, Israel, and serves as the executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Munayyer wrote: “This is a stunningly irresponsible and misleading headline. Israel shot dozens of unarmed Palestinian protestors in Gaza on Friday and killed 4 Palestinians, including two protesters, in Gaza before any projectiles were launched.”
The “including two protesters” part means that the other two were armed terrorists who were using the cover of the riot—as they have done every Friday for more than 13 months—to try to kill Israelis.
But a very different wave of response came from what looked like hundreds, if not thousands, of Twitter users, who just gave it to Tlaib.
There were angry ones:
you’re delusional or incredibly stupid. perhaps both are on the table.
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull)
And funny ones:
Awesome ! Way to go Israel! What do you expect them to do??
— Bruce Brendle (@brubren1)
There were obvious ones:
If you want me to value Palestinian lives, it would help a ton if Palestinians started valuing Palestinian lives. When you raise your kids to be suicide bombers, and celebrate both their deaths and Israeli deaths, it’s kind of hard to empathize.
— Jeff Bonwick (@jeffbonwick)
Many pointed out the dual loyalty thing:
Our, what do you mean by our?
— Irvstein (@iddewbach)
Our?!
— Fount Nix (@FountNix)
I just cant understand how she’s representing the American people? All what she talks about is Palestine & all what she keeps targeting are the US & its allies. pic.twitter.com/VJEKELwFwl
— Hani ?? (@HNI87)
Wait.. so it’s ‘Our’ Palestinian people? and ‘not your president’? well.. getting a picture on which side you are. not that I needed it. but maybe those who are still blind and love you just because you hate , maybe they can have an honest look at you.
— Yoely Lebovits (@Badchen)
Our? So this means your resigning and moving to Palestine? Great! Have a good trip.
— Azreth (@Azreth_Argive)
There were clever ones:
Yes I agree, Hamas and Islamic Jihad should stop dehumanizing the Palestinian people by using them as human shield and committing double war crimes by firing in Israelis (who by the way, are human too). You are so transparent. And so allergic to truth.
— Rolene Marks (@RoleMarks)
It’s called chronological order, ma’am. Sorry if cause and effect is offensive to you. Oh, and hey, does your office have any comment on you having followed this page yet? Last time I asked, they said “no comment.” https://t.co/A9czVptPxG pic.twitter.com/qrLRDQa4qL
— Ashley Rae Goldenberg (@Communism_Kills)
And factual ones:
A member of Congress has not just sympathized with terrorism, but has essentially endorsed it. All those with decent liberal secular values should be horrified
— Luke Rodriguez ???? (@LukeRodriguez75)
Israel disengaged unilaterally & left behind economic infrastructure to jumpstart Gaza economy. If Gazans approached border w/peaceful signs; Israeli public response would have coexistence negotiations initiate ASAP. Talk to “your” Hamas contacts; encourage them to
— David Alpern ☜ (@alpern)
And this one, which attributes the quote to Alan Dershowitz, but it could have been Golda Meir:
If Palestinian terrorists and other Israeli enemies ever laid down their arms, there would be peace. But if Israel ever gave up its arms, there would be genocide. Alan Dershowitz
— Joey bohlen (@joeysthedad)
And you thought the leftist-Muslim-Palestinian coalition was taking over America. Nah ah.