Receiving strong support from the Arab-American community, Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in the US Congress has successfully secured a fourth term in the House of Representatives. Talib represents Michigan’s 13th District, including Dearborn and Detroit. Talib is known for her outspoken criticism of US military support for Israel, especially in the ongoing conflict with Gaza.
Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American to serve in Congress, was re-elected for a third term to represent Minnesota’s 5th District, which includes Minneapolis and its suburbs. Omar is also known for her vocal criticism for Israel’s actions in Gaza. It has been reported that during her campaign, her team was highly active and knocked over 117,00 doors, made 100,000 calls and sent nearly 150,000 texts.
Targets of Pro-Israeli Lobbies in the US
Both Omar and Tlaib have been targets of pro-Israeli lobbies in the US for their vocal criticism of the genocidal war on Gaza.
Earlier this week, Tlaib chose not to support Kamala Harris at a union rally in Detroit, where the Gaza conflict is the main concern for the largest group of Arab American voters in the U.S.
Tlaib and Omar are both part of “The Squad,” a group of progressive lawmakers that also includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley. While Tlaib and Omar successfully won re-election, other Squad members, such as Jamaal Bowman from New York and Cori Bush from Missouri, lost their primaries.
These defeats were largely seen as the result of intense opposition from pro-Israel lobbying groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which heavily invested in primary races nationwide to challenge progressive candidates who have criticized Israeli policies.
