Arizona State cancels pro-Palestinian event featuring Tlaib

Arizona State University (ASU) has canceled a Friday afternoon event that would have featured Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), according to a university spokesperson.

Tlaib, who has been at the center of controversy in Congress for her criticism of U.S. involvement with Israel in its war against Hamas, was scheduled to give a speech at the event hosted by the Arizona Palestine Network, a pro-Palestine advocacy group.

The university spokesperson said the cancelation was due to “procedural issues.” The cancelation was first reported by The Arizona Republic.

“Organizers of events using ASU facilities must be properly registered with ASU and must meet all university requirement for crowd management, parking, security, and insurance,” the university said in an emailed statement. “In addition, the events must be produced in a way which minimizes disruption to academic and other activities on campus.”

The school said the event was planned and produced by groups that are not affiliated with ASU and was organized outside of the school’s policies and procedures and means the “event will not take place today on the ASU Tempe campus.”

Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American member of Congress. The House voted to censure the Michigan Democrat in early November over her comments criticizing Israel amid its war with Hamas.

The chamber approved the reprimand in a 234-188-4 vote, with 22 Democrats joining Republicans to support the resolution.

Tlaib has been outspoken against Israel’s retaliatory strikes, after Hamas’s initial surprise attack took the lives of at least 1,200 Israelis. She has also been the center of a recent controversy when she posted a video on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that said President Biden supported the genocide of Palestinian people.

The video she posted included the saying “from the river to the sea,” which the Anti-Defamation League characterizes as antisemitic language. In another post online she defended her use of the controversial phrase.

The Arizona Palestine Network urged its supporters to “demand ASU to not cancel Rashida Tlaib” on their website and listed the contact information of the school’s senior vice president and general counsel.

The Hill has reached out to both ASU and Tlaib’s office for comment on the event cancelation.

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