You would think the daughter of two Palestinian immigrants to the US, now serving in the US congress, would have great potential to make a difference in the relations between the Arabs and Jews of Israel. Rashida Tlaib is just such a person, but sadly, she has revealed an agenda far opposite of peace making between the two peoples.

Both of Rashida’s parents were born and raised in the Judea and Samaria region of Israel. Both of her parents identify as (Arab) Palestinians (a self-identification that seems to have become popular among Arabs of Judea and Samaria in the 1960’s, although the term “Palestinian” previously referred exclusively to the Jews who remained in the land of Israel). Rashida’s father was born in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem, and her mother was born in a small village just outside of Ramallah. Both Ramallah and Jerusalem are places in which the Palestinian Authority seeks to exert a great deal of influence.

As the eldest daughter in a family of 14 children growing up in America, Tlaib got to enjoy the welfare system in America. Perhaps her family’s dependence on welfare was part of what caused Rashida to take on the Democratic Party’s cause in America as she entered into politics. She undoubtedly enjoyed a much better childhood on the welfare system in America than she would have under the corrupt Palestinian Authority that prefers to pocket money rather than actually help its population. (The Palestinian Authority’s president lives in a mansion for which he paid millions of dollars. He also recently purchased a Boeing 747 for himself — where he will fly it, nobody knows…).

For someone so outspoken against Israel, it may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that Rashida has actually been an outspoken proponent of a one-state solution. Her explanation for why is that the “separate but equal” idea failed in America and in South Africa and other nations and it is failing in the Judea and Samaria region of Israel as well.

Her support of a one-state solution is hindered, however, in that she buys into all of the lies about Israel and in that her pursuit of “peace” in the region hinges almost entirely on her concern for Arab-Palestinians with little to no input from Jewish-Israelis (or even Israeli-Arabs for that matter). Another roadblock to her ability to make a real difference is her reliance on the support of the anti-Israel Arab-Palestinian group MIFTAH.

MIFTAH is an acronym in Arabic that stands for Media and Information Program at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. The problem is that MIFTAH is using media and “global dialogue” and ‏“democracy” to promote an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, and pro-terrorist agenda. The sad thing is that MIFTAH is Rashida’s go-to organization for information on the conflict and shaping public opinion on Israel. This is also the organization that was organizing her trip with Ilhan Omar to Israel until that trip was recently cancelled by the Israeli government due to their promotion of the BDS movement (a movement aimed at crippling Israel economically by Boycotting Israeli companies and Divesting from companies that do business with Israeli organizations and by putting Sanctions on Israel).

MIFTAH is an avid proponent of the two-state solution and a Jew-free Palestinian state. MIFTAH has on numerous occasions praised terrorists and acts of terrorism. MIFTAH is also a major player in encouraging the spread of BDS. They’ve even put out their own hit list of organizations to boycott as a result of supporting Israel or doing any amount of business in Israel or in conjunction with Israelis. In short, MIFTAH is no good for Rashida’s aspirations of addressing the issues in the region, and yet they are the ones she has been relying on for information and support on the issues.

Finally, Rashida Tlaib’s closest political ally, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is Ilhan Omar. When it comes to Israel, foreigners, such as Ilhan Omar tend to take on the offenses of locals and conflate their offenses and even fan the flames of offense in the hearts of those who may have had some unfortunate experiences. Also Tlaib’s and Omar’s close political ally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has some misperceptions of Israel and Jews that only hurt the likelihood of Tlaib getting a grip on the realities in Israel today. Ocasio-Cortez even recently refused an invitation from the Yad VaShem Holocaust Museum after she said that the Mexican border situation was comparable to the Holocaust (a gross distortion of the situation and unfair to those who actually went through the Holocaust).

If Rashida Tlaib is to truly achieve her full potential for being a part of positive change in Israel, she should steer clear of the erroneous misperceptions of her closest political allies and get to know people on the ground in Israel from all walks of life. If she does, she’s likely to be fairly disappointed in the Palestinian Authority and fairly impressed with Israel, but she would also be able to be a part of improving the lives of countless people in Israel, both Arab and Jew. Here are some ways we can all be praying for her and the situation:

• God, awaken Rashida Tlaib to her great potential to make a real difference for Israel today and not just jump on the bandwagon of anti-Israel politicians who have been droning on about the same non-solutions for decades now.
• Father, help Rashida to see and acknowledge the corruption of the Palestinian Authority’s leadership. Help her to understand and be grateful for how American generosity was a blessing to her unusually large family. Also, help her to understand that the things that made life nicer for her in America (such as welfare) aren’t necessarily the wisest ways for a nation to handle socio-economic disparities.
• God liberate Rashida from MIFTAH’s distorted agenda and their anti-Israel aims. Give her the independence to truly pursue the one-state solution in a manner that will empower those living in Israel and in the Judea and Samaria region to thrive and to live together. Open Rashida’s eyes to the reality that Israel today is NOT an Apartheid state as she has been led to believe. Show her the facts about Israel and give her insights from Jewish Israelis and Arab-Israelis that don’t lead to her merely going along with the anti-Israel rhetoric of organizations like MIFTAH.
• Lord, bring Rashida Tlaib into a knowledge of the truth and release her from all of the lies about Israel. Guide her and those with whom she is working to understand the real Israel and to pursue solutions that are realistic and not in opposition to your will for Israel today. Thank you Lord that she has already received at least some level of understanding of the need for a one-state solution. Help her to understand the security issues facing Israel today and to diversify her sources of information on how to pursue positive change in the region.