Israel 'Catastrophe' Event Hosted by Rashida Tlaib Canceled After Outrage

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has canceled a planned event concerning the anniversary of the creation of Israel at the U.S. Capitol, which would have featured Democratic representative Rashida Tlaib.

The congresswoman for Michigan, who is of Palestinian heritage, was due to feature as a special guest at the event to mark 75 years since what many Palestinians call the "Nakba"—which means "catastrophe" in Arabic and has been used to refer to the creation of Israel in 1948. Concerns have been raised about the event's potential content and the motives of some of the organizers.

The event and its cancellation speak to a wider debate about America's support for Israel. While pro-Israel advocates say it is a rare ally in the Middle East, others say accusations of human rights violations should not be overlooked for the sake of international diplomacy.

"Nakba 75 & the Palestinian People" was due to take place at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington D.C.

"Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli military violently expelled approximately three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel," the organizers wrote on a listing about the event.

They continued that the evening was to "educate" members of Congress about "the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians."

"This event in the U.S. Capitol is canceled," McCarthy tweeted late Tuesday night. "Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship."

His announcement followed a letter from Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to the House Speaker on Tuesday, which said the antisemitism watchdog had concerns that some of the organizers of Wednesday's event "have a record of rhetoric that demonizes and delegitimizes Israel, as well as dangerous stereotypes about Israel's supporters."

While Nakba Day events often aim to shine a light on the plight of Palestinians, anti-hate organizations have said they tend to lead to hate speech against Jews and Israel.

Of the estimated 35 Nakba Day events held in the U.S. in 2022, ADL said a "significant segment" of rhetoric espoused at these gatherings descended into "expressions of support for terror groups or attacks against Israelis."

Pro-Palestinian activists often use the term "Nakba" to portray those displaced when the state of Israel was founded as victims of colonialism, but others argue that this is a mischaracterization.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told the Washington Free Beacon that Tlaib "could have been and should have been someone who would work tirelessly to bring Palestinians and Israelis together to make peace. Instead, she continues to serve as a cheerleader for demonization and delegitimization of the Jewish state."

Newsweek approached Tlaib's office via email for comment on Wednesday.

In response to McCarthy's statement, Greenblatt wrote that he was "grateful" the House Speaker had taken "rapid action." He argued: "There's room to talk about the issues—but not at an event co-sponsored by people who traffic in antisemitism and hate."

Before its cancellation, Democratic congressman for New Jersey Josh Gottheimer told the Jerusalem Post that "no effort that attempts to rewrite history and question Israel's right to exist has any hope of succeeding." He added that "this narrative only sows divisiveness and hate."

Several of the organizers have previously faced criticism of pushing a one-sided view of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and supporting the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement—a Palestinian-led movement promoting economic boycotts of Israeli companies and products.

In 2020, the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)—the political arm of which is listed as an organizer of the Nakba event—attracted criticism for a since-deleted tweet that appeared to glorify the First Intifada, a period of violence between 1987 and 1993, according to the Jewish Journal.

ADL said in 2013 that JVP "rejects the view that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a tragic dispute over land which has been perpetuated by a cycle of violence" and "considers supporters of Israel, or even critics of Israel who do not hew to JVP's own extreme views, to be complicit in Israel's purported acts."

Another organization listed on the event is the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. In 2018, Tablet magazine accused the Virginia-based charity of helping facilitate donations to a Palestinian coalition of what the U.S. deems terror groups.

Newsweek approached JVP and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights via email for comment.