Watan-The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released audio recordings of supporters of Israel discussing ways to harm Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib during her visit to the University of Arizona. This comes in response to Tlaib’s condemnation of Israeli occupation crimes and her support for Palestinian resistance and legitimate rights.
Since the start of the “Al-Aqsa Storm” operation, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, along with progressive lawmakers, has been subjected to incitement campaigns by lobby groups known for their hostility towards Palestinian rights and support for Israel.
Supporters of Israel Discuss “Ways to Kill” Rashida Tlaib
Audio recordings released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reveal discussions among supporters of Israel regarding potential harm to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib during her visit to Arizona. The recordings delve into conversations about “sexually harassing her, bothering her, and even killing her” during her Arizona visit.
CAIR, the largest civil rights organization for American Muslims, stated that a pro-Israel group of former “X”-Twitter users discussed ways to disrupt Tlaib’s visit to Arizona, even if it meant resorting to extreme measures.
Users supportive of Israel transitioned from debating the legality of explicit sexual insults directed at Rashida Tlaib during a CAIR event to discussing Arizona’s weapon laws.
During the conversation, one speaker openly suggested the possibility of shooting Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib at the event, before another speaker intervened, bringing an end to the discussion.
According to CAIR’s website, an activist monitoring the Twitter discussion of the pro-Israel group regarding the Palestinian-American Congresswoman shared the audio recording with CAIR, which, in turn, published it without providing commentary.
In the audio recording, users—many of whom use celebrity profile pictures and aliases—noticed that anyone could travel through Arizona with a firearm without a license. They discussed the difficulty of attempting to enter a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event in Arizona with a pistol due to anticipated security measures.
Public Discussions on Firing Shots at Rashida Tlaib
In the audio recording, a user named “George” suggested that if someone wanted to shoot at her during the event, they should do so from a distance. However, another speaker named “Stealth” objected to the idea of bringing a weapon to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) event in Arizona, and the discussion on the platform X concluded shortly thereafter.
CAIR and its Arizona branch shared the recording with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s office, local law enforcement, and private security ahead of her visit. Following the revelation, the University of Arizona canceled Tlaib’s participation in the mentioned event, and the hotel canceled its hosting contract, prompting CAIR in Arizona to relocate the event.
The Capitol Police immediately initiated an investigation, while the meeting of the Council on American-Islamic Relations had heightened security but witnessed no disruptions.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Deputy Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated, “This horrifying discussion among pro-Israel activists on X regarding ways to harass, obstruct, and even shoot Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is the latest evidence that Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism have completely spiraled out of control in the United States. It has reached an unprecedented level in a country that claims freedom and democracy.”
The statement emphasized that the most concerning aspect of the real discussion about targeting Congresswoman Tlaib is the fact that “none of the hundreds of pro-Israel activists who heard this conversation live cared to report it to law enforcement or warn Congresswoman Tlaib.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on law enforcement authorities to treat these pro-Israel activists the same way they would treat a group of Muslim or pro-Palestinian activists if they openly discussed carrying firearms across state lines, infiltrating a civil rights event, and shooting a member of Congress.