Twitter Fact Checks Rashida Tlaib Tweet Accusing Israeli Gov’t of “Violent Apartheid”

Twitter provided a fact-check of a March 25 tweet from Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) accusing the Israeli government of “violent apartheid” over an inaccurate representation of a video.

Tlaib’s was quote-tweeting a since-deleted March 24 tweet from the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) claiming that Israeli soldiers were attacking “Palestinians celebrating the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in occupied Jerusalem. This is Israeli apartheid.” “This is the violent apartheid government of Israel,” Tlaib wrote in her tweet. “Don’t look away.”

However, below Tlaib’s tweet is Twitter’s context box saying: “The context of this video is that the Israeli police were separating a fight among Palestinian teenagers at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.” One of the citations is to a Jerusalem Post article saying that the teenagers had started fighting before police arrived and that the claim that Israeli soldiers were attacking the teenagers came from Palestinian media.

This is the violent apartheid government of Israel.

Don't look away. https://t.co/puUvGNu1Zr

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) March 26, 2023

Democratic Majority for Israel called for Tlaib to take down her tweet. “It’s false and dangerous,” they tweeted. “The police didn’t attack the Palestinians; they stopped them from attacking each other. This is just the latest in your pattern of using false reports to delegitimize and demonize the world’s only Jewish state.”

Rep. @RashidaTlaib, you should take this down — it’s false and dangerous. The police didn’t attack the Palestinians; they stopped them from attacking each other.

This is just the latest in your pattern of using false reports to delegitimize and demonize the world’s only… https://t.co/2gJLlW6J8I

— Democratic Majority for Israel (@DemMaj4Israel) March 27, 2023

“Don’t look away,” AIPAC similarly tweeted. “This is a member of Congress promoting a dangerous, anti-Israel lie that incites further conflict and violence. Even after proven false, she still hasn’t taken down her post. Why is @RashidaTlaib adding fuel to the fire instead of calling for calm and peace?”

Don't look away.

This is a member of Congress promoting a dangerous, anti-Israel lie that incites further conflict and violence.

Even after proven false, she still hasn't taken down her post.

Why is @RashidaTlaib adding fuel to the fire instead of calling for calm and peace? https://t.co/pKhmjtTAKj

— AIPAC (@AIPAC) March 27, 2023

“Another day, another blatant anti-Israel lie by @RashidaTlaib – and no one in House Democratic Party leadership will hold her accountable,” the Republican Jewish Coalition tweeted.

Another day, another blatant anti-Israel lie by @RashidaTlaib – and no one in House Democratic Party leadership will hold her accountable. https://t.co/NeoJD8ecfH

— RJC (@RJC) March 27, 2023

Stop Antisemitism called Twitter’s fact check of Tlaib’s tweet “a perfect start to the week.”

Twitter calling out Rashida Tlaib’s lies is a perfect start to the week. pic.twitter.com/hD7asRYrih

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) March 27, 2023

Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to the Journal’s request for comment.