WASHINGTON, DC (Michigan News Source) – Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, joined 20 other progressive lawmakers in introducing a House resolution declaring Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide.” The group cites findings from UN investigators and genocide- scholar associations to justify the designation.

The measure argues the U.S. has a legal obligation under the Genocide Convention to stop arming Israel – a dramatic challenge to decades of bipartisan foreign policy.

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Tlaib says in her press release, “The Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has not ended, and it will not end until we act. Since the so-called ‘ceasefire’ was announced, Israeli forces haven’t stopped killing Palestinians.” She continues, “After over two years of slaughter, forced starvation, and mass atrocities in Gaza, the global consensus is clear: the Israeli government has committed genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Resolution is likely dead on arrival.

The proposal is unlikely to advance in the GOP-controlled House and wasn’t signed on by any other Michigan legislators. Among the supporters are Reps. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ro Khanna (D-CA). Even within the Democratic caucus, Tlaib’s approach is expected to create friction, as some members back a cease-fire but do not support labeling Israel’s actions as genocide.

The politics behind the punch.

Supporters argue the resolution reflects findings from international bodies about widespread destruction and civilian deaths. Critics say it oversimplifies the conflict, overlooks Hamas’s role in the October 7, 2023 attacks, and applies a legal term with significant diplomatic implications.

While the resolution is unlikely to advance, it still adds to the broader political debate about the situation. By putting the term “genocide” before Congress, Tlaib – who was censured by the House for her defense of the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which many view as a call for Israel’s destruction – is pushing lawmakers to take a stance they’ve largely avoided and exposing divisions over how far the party should go in reshaping U.S. policy toward Israel.

The legislation is endorsed by over 100 organizations including CODEPINK, the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).