Kevin McCarthy Blocks Rashida Tlaib Event By Booking the Space for Himself

A Michigan Democrat is pushing ahead with a planned event marking “Nakba” Day—or “the catastrophe,” which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s founding in 1948–despite a move by Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to block the event by reserving the space for himself instead. Rep. Rashida Tlaib—the only Palestinian lawmaker in the House, who has been vocal in her criticism of the Israeli government—told CNN she has moved the event to the Senate after McCarthy reserved the space where it was supposed to be held for himself, a spokesperson confirmed. He added that it’s “wrong for members of Congress to traffic in antisemitic tropes about Israel.” McCarthy will instead host a “bipartisan discussion” in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship. “Let me be very clear: America is grateful for our friendship with Israel,” McCarthy tweeted. “We are a better nation because of it. And we must never shy away from defending it.” Tlaib responded: “Speaker McCarthy wants to rewrite history and erase the existence and truth of the Palestinian people, but he has failed to do so. This event is planned to bring awareness about the Nakba and create space for Palestinian Americans who experienced the Nakba firsthand to tell their stories of trauma and survival.”