Rashida Tlaib: “End the Apartheid System”
On Thursday, Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, delivered an extraordinarily personal and powerful speech from the House floor about the humanity of Palestinians and the urgent need to dismantle Israeli apartheid. We print it here in full.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib delivered her powerful speech on Thursday, May 13, on the House floor. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
This is so personal for me. I am a reminder to colleagues that Palestinians do indeed exist; that we are human; that we are allowed to dream. We are mothers, daughters, granddaughters. We are justice-seekers, and are unapologetically about our fight against oppressions of all forms.
Colleagues: Palestinians aren’t going anywhere, no matter how much money you send to Israel’s apartheid government.
If we are to make good on our promises to support equal human rights for all, it is our duty to end the apartheid system that for decades has subjected Palestinians to inhumane treatment and racism. Reducing Palestinians to live in utter fear and terror of losing a child, being indefinitely detained or killed because of who they are, and the unequal rights and protections they have under Israeli law: it must end.
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