- The conflict in Israel is having repercussions in Michigan, putting two progressive Democrats at odds.
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib is accusing Rep. Shri Thanedar of being too "busy posting memes" to do his job.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar — two progressive Democrats who represent neighboring Detroit-area districts in Michigan — are in a war of words over not just Israel, but about their jobs as lawmakers.
"While he is busy posting memes, his residents are calling my office asking for my assistance because he is absent from doing his job," Tlaib told the Detroit News in a statement on Thursday. "He isn't putting in the work of a public servant and is leaving his working-class communities across his district with no real advocate."
It came after Thanedar told Jewish Insider that Tlaib's use of the word "resistance" in a statement on Hamas's attack on Israel was "dehumanizing" and was "denying the suffering of ordinary people, innocent people that had nothing to do with any of this."
Thanedar also said he would renounce his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America over the organization's response to the conflict of Israel — though the organization's local Metro Detroit chapter says it already overwhelmingly voted to expel Thanedar last month over his support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thanedar, a freshman congressman, is indeed known for his social media presence.
—Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) April 20, 2023
In response to Tlaib's comments, Thanedar told the Detroit News that his office had resolved "hundreds" of constituent cases and is "open every day in our downtown office and are also open for walk-ins."
But Tlaib's not the only one making that claim. State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, the chamber's assistant Majority Leader, wrote on X that he prefers to contact Tlaib or Rep. Debbie Dingell when it comes to federal issues.
—Darrin Camilleri (@darrincamilleri) October 13, 2023
And Thanedar's former communications director, Adam Abusalah, wrote a lengthy thread on X that the Michigan congressman is disengaged from his job, is fixated on his re-election, had trouble retaining staff, had a "hard time trusting black women," and has sought to be "popular like" Tlaib.
Patrick Malone, Thanedar's chief of staff, told Insider in a statement that the allegations were "untrue" and were "clearly a direct response to Congressman Thanedar's principled stance in support of Israel's right to self-defense and against the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas,"
Malone pointed to prior tweets from Abusalah that seemingly sympathized with the Hamas attack.
—Adam Y. Abusalah (@adam_abusalah) October 13, 2023