There is no question that Annabelle Lima-Taub, a member of the Hallandale Beach, Fla., Commission, went too far in a Jan. 8 Facebook post. In it she revealed that she had signed an online petition demanding that firebrand Rep. Rashida Tlaib be removed from office. But that is not how she went too far.
Neither did she cross a line in her reference to Tlaib as a “Hamas-loving anti-Semite” who “has NO place in government!” Tlaib is an anti-Semite. And while she has not overtly backed the terrorist group Hamas, she has posed for a picture with a Hezbollah-backing anti-Israel activist.
Where Lima-Taub went too far was in writing that she “would not put it past [Tlaib] to become a martyr and blow up Capitol Hill.” In fairness to Tlaib, we don’t know for sure whether she is even trained in the use of explosives.
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In any case, Lima-Taub, who is a native of Israel, is getting lambasted nationwide for her Facebook post, which she has since deleted. After underscoring the fact, with more than a hint of pride, that Tlaib is a a Palestinian-American who “made history as one of the first two Muslim women to ever serve in Congress,” the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes:
Lima-Taub could not be reached for comment Monday despite two calls to her cell phone. Tlaib could not be reached for comment despite a message left with her Washington office.
It was unclear Monday whether the comment was reported to federal authorities. [Emphasis added]
Reported for what? While it is true that threatening the life of a government official is a felony, Lima-Taub did no such thing. In fact, she didn’t even claim affirmatively that Tlaib planned to blow up Capitol Hill. All she wrote is that she “wouldn’t put it past” Tlaib.
That didn’t prevent Lima-Taub’s colleagues from sharing their outrage:
Commissioners Michele Lazarow and Mike Butler accused Lima-Taub of promoting a racist stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists.
“Commissioner Lima-Taub’s behavior is indefensible and a black eye for Hallandale Beach,” Lazarow said.
Hallandale’s Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana spoke up as well:
To say [the Congresswoman] could blow up Capitol Hill is really inappropriate. Congressman Steve King from Iowa has openly embraced white supremacy and I don’t see anyone condemning him. Maybe she’s being targeted because she’s a woman and because she’s a Muslim.
Actually, Steve King’s comments have been condemned by virtually every Republican in government and the part about targeting Tlaib “because she’s a woman and … a Muslim” is ludicrous.
Rashida Tlaib’s biggest claim to fame so far in her brief congressional career is not that she is a Muslim or a woman. It’s that she called the president a “motherf*cker.” I’m not sure I’d put much past her either.
