Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) was recently pictured sporting a t-shirt that portrays the modern state of Israel as belonging entirely to Palestine.
Tlaib, one of Congress's leading critics of Israel, was pictured in the t-shirt while promoting a recently published book by Linda Sarsour, another outspoken critic of the Jewish state who serves as a surrogate for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.
The shirt portrays present-day Israel as a Palestinian state. Shirts of this nature have been a mainstay of pro-Palestinian activists who reject a two-state solution and argue that the world's only Jewish state should not exist.
"Stand in solidarity with Palestine by wearing this beautiful Palestinian tee-shirt," reads one online advertisement for the shirt worn by Tlaib. "An outlined map of Palestine is filled with red, white, and green Arabic letters that look stunning from a distance and spell the word Palestine up close. A patterned shemagh wraps around the neck of the Palestinian state like the brave soldiers whose boots stand on the dusty ground."
Tlaib did not respond to a request for comment.
Tlaib has been repeatedly criticized by the pro-Israel and Jewish communities for comments they say are anti-Semitic. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which combats anti-Semitic incitement, condemned Tlaib in late January for tweeting an inaccurate story claiming Israeli Jews murdered a Palestinian child. The ADL cited her for promoting a "blood libel" that was "steeped in centuries-old accusations used to demonize Jews."
Tlaib's associations with many organizations and causes that single Israel out for undue criticism have also generated deep divides between the congresswoman and the pro-Israel community. They include groups that support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which critics call anti-Semitic for its promotion of economic boycotts against Jewish-owned businesses.