Rashida Tlaib: The Names of the Dead and the Shame of the Living

Congressional Action on Gaza Data

• 💡 The US Congress debated an amendment to the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025.
• 🎯 This amendment aimed to limit the use of unverified statistics from the Gaza Ministry of Health by the US government.
• 🔑 The bill was proposed by Mr. Moscowitz of Florida.

Rashida Tlaib's Impassioned Speech

• 🗣️ Representative Rashida Tlaib strongly opposed the amendment, calling it an "unconscionable" attempt to hide the situation in Gaza.
• 📌 She asserted that there has been a coordinated effort to dehumanize Palestinians and erase their existence since 1948.
• 🔥 Tlaib stated that the Israeli government is carrying out a "genocide in Gaza" in real-time.

Dehumanization and Casualty Figures

• 💬 Tlaib cited an Israeli Defense Minister's quote about "imposing a complete siege" and "fighting human animals" to illustrate the dehumanization of Palestinians.
• 📊 She read into the record the latest casualty figures: 37,718 Palestinians killed, including over 15,000 children, and 836,377 injured.
• ⚠️ Tlaib highlighted that six children are killed in Gaza every single hour, emphasizing that these are not just numbers but real people.

Condemnation and Call for Recognition

• 🚨 Tlaib condemned the amendment as "genocide denial" and pointed to "anti-Palestinian racism" within the chamber.
• 🎤 As the only Palestinian American in Congress, she vowed not to remain silent while attempts are made to erase those killed.
• ✅ She attempted to submit the list of Palestinians killed into the Congressional Record, but it was too long due to text limits, underscoring the immense death toll.
• 🙏 Tlaib urged colleagues to acknowledge the dead and not erase their existence.