US President Joe Biden paused a moment from his speech at an auto plant in Michigan on Tuesday to publicly praise the “passion” of progressive Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, adding that he was committed to ensuring the safety of her Palestinian family amid tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Tlaib – the only Palestinian-American member of Congress – has been highly critical of Biden’s stance on Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians, and recently accused him of “taking orders” from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the “Daily Beast” website, Biden said during his visit to the Dearborn Ford plant: “I admire your intelligence, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for many other people. From my heart, I pray that your grandmother and your family are well – I promise I will do everything to see that they are in the West Bank. You are a fighter, and God thanks you for being a fighter.”
Since the beginning of this year, no less than 197 Palestinians, including 92 women and children, have been killed.
While Biden remains reluctant to criticize Israel and assert that Israel has a “right to defend itself,” he recently expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians.
