"Fedayeen are setting out from the land of 1948. They are striking them with knives and their bare hands, and they are victorious!" said Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-Michigan) speaks at a climate rally in Iowa in January.
(photo credit: SCOTT MORGAN/REUTERS)
US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and local politicians attended a "Nakba Day" rally in Dearborn, Michigan that saw one speaker call for violence on May 15.
"Everyone should fight within his means," Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani said in a video on rally organizer New Generation for Palestine's Facebook page. "They will fight with stones. Others will fight with guns. Others will fight with planes. Drones. And others will fight with rockets! And others will fight in their voice. And others will fight with their hands and say free, free Palestine!"
"They thought that 1948 was the demarcation line. They thought we forgot. Now surprise, Fedayeen are setting out from the land of 1948. They are striking them with knives and their bare hands, and they are victorious! Arab American News publisher" Osama Siblani, May 15, translated by MEMRI TV
Crowds cheered for Siblani's speech, and there was no visible or audible opposition. Siblani's outlet is one of the oldest Arabic newspapers in the US, according to event organizers.
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) condemned Siblani and questioned whether Tlaib condoned the publisher's incitement to violence.
"Congresswoman Tlaib shared a stage with a man who was literally shouting for violence in Michigan" CAMERA communication director Jonah Cohen
“By sharing a platform with such a demagogue, Tlaib has given an air of legitimacy to his appalling calls for bloodshed in America," said Cohen. "Extremist rhetoric like his has led to a spike in antisemitic hate crimes across the nation.”