Rashida Tlaib calls to not use US taxes for “violently oppress the Palestinians”
Washington (QNN)- US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on Saturday called to stop US taxpayer dollars being used to “violently oppress the Palestinians” after Israel’s demolition of home of Palestinian-American prisoner Montaser Shalabi.
“Just this week Israel demolished and leveled the home of a Palestinian family in the beloved village of Turmus Aiya. For what? To dehumanize,” said Tlaib, the first Palestinian Progressive Democrat who was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents.
“We must stop our taxpayer dollars being used to violently oppress the Palestinians,” Tlaib said.
Tlaib quoted a tweet from Quds News Network in Arabic that showed footage of the moments of Israel’s blowing up Shalabi’s home.
“Thus Israeli occupation forces destroyed the house of the prisoner Montaser Shalabi,” read Quds News Network tweet.
Tlaib also added a reminder in the tweet that said: “Apartheid government is not a democracy.”
Reminder: Apartheid government is not a democracy.
We must stop our taxpayer dollars being used to violently oppress the Palestinians. Just this week Israel demolished and leveled the home of a Palestinian family in the beloved village of Turmusaya. For what? To dehumanize. https://t.co/nR25TaYi1K
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) July 10, 2021
Israeli occupation forces earlier on Thursday blew up the house of Shalabi, who is held in Israeli jails, in Turmus Ayya town, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Watch | Israeli occupation forces bombed the house of the Palestinian prisoner, Montaser Al-Shalabi, in Turmus Ayya town, north of Ramallah, last night.#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/aUuXrnTsGE
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 8, 2021
Local sources said Israeli forces raided the Turmus Ayya town and started bombing the prisoner’s house with explosives to the extent that some nearby buildings in the area of the town were also damaged due to the explosions.
Residents of the area were attacked by the forces when they raided the town. The forces, local sources said, used tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the residents.
Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld the decision to destroy the two-story house of the family of the prisoner in a punitive measure, as it rejected a petition by his wife, who lives in the house with their children.
44-year-old Shalabi was detained by Israel’s Shin Bet last May for performing an operation at Za’tara military checkpoint.
Shalabi had opened fire at colonial settlers near Za’tara military checkpoint, wounding 3 of them, one died later.
Shalabi does not belong to any of the resistance factions, however.
The U.S. embassy in ‘Israel’, however, denounced Israel’s razing house of Shalabi, saying that all sides should “refrain from unilateral steps that exacerbate tensions and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution, this certainly includes the punitive demolition of Palestinian homes.”
It added, “As we stated numerous times, the home of an entire family should not be demolished for the actions of one individual.”
