Tlaib, other ‘Squad’ members renew calls for ceasefire in Middle East

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - A small group of House Democrats, led by ‘The ‘Squad,’ renewed their calls Monday for a ceasefire in the Middle East. They also say the U.S. should not give any more aid to Israel in its war against Hamas.

“Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now,” said Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) with a crowd of other liberal lawmakers standing beside her outside the Capitol Monday night. The group said the war between Israel and Hamas should immediately stop.

“My colleagues must recognize our shared humanity, the value of human life. There are millions of people across our country right now who are horrified watching the government support collective punishment of Palestinians,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) who is the only Palestinian member of Congress.

Tlaib, who was recently censured for making antisemitic statements, criticized Israel’s government as well as President Joe Biden. Tlaib claimed the president is not paying attention to what she says most people want.

“President Biden, I hope you’re listening. I’m consistent in telling this over and over again. You must listen to the voices of the majority of Americans who are calling for a ceasefire now,” Tlaib said.

Earlier in the day, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made clear the White House’s position on the ongoing conflict.

“The loss of a single innocent life is a tragedy, whether it’s a Palestinian civilian, an Israeli civilian or anyone else. And we grieve for every innocent [person] who is lost. At the same time, we will continue to stand behind the proposition that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks,” said Sullivan.

After the press conference, Gray Television’s National Correspondent Josh Rultenberg tried to speak with two members of ‘The Squad,’ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), but they refused to answer questions about the October 7th terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas.

Future aid for Israel remains up in the air. The federal government is set to run out of money at the end of the week and the current proposals to keep the lights on do not include any money for the Middle East conflict.

Meanwhile, thousands are expected to march in support of Israel and against antisemitism on Tuesday in Washington.

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