Israeli ambassador Erdan to Tlaib: 'Open your eyes' to reality on Temple Mount

(JNS) — Israeli Ambassador to the United States Gilad Erdan called out Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Monday after she tweeted a defamatory post against the Jewish state.

On Twitter, she wrote: “Al-Aqsa is the 3rd holiest site in Islam, & people praying during the holiest days of the holy month of Ramadan have been beaten, gassed, shot, & killed by Israeli forces. They are denied medics & forced to use prayer mats as stretchers. A place of peace desecrated by violence.”

She added that “American taxpayer money is being used to commit human-rights violations. Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed. Statements are not working @SecBlinken Enough is enough.”

She also included a video link but did not mention any of the incidents of Palestinians attacking Jews.

Responding on Twitter, the Israel ambassador wrote, “Congresswoman … maybe you should open your eyes to the whole picture? Islam’s 3rd holiest site is being used to stockpile Molotov cocktails and rocks that are being lobbed at the police and at Jewish worshippers praying at the Western Wall, below the Temple Mount.”

He continued, writing that “hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have prayed freely at their holy sites, including in Jerusalem, over the month of Ramadan because Israel believes in freedom of religion and Israeli security forces work hard to enable all groups to pray in peace.” Erdan included a photo of the so-called “rocks,” actually large chunks of stone, being stockpiled by the Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa mosque and thrown at Jewish law enforcement and civilians.

Tlaib, who was voted into Congress in 2018, is a frequent critic of Israel and has been accused of spreading outright falsehoods, including claiming that Israel has withheld coronavirus vaccines from the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.