Rashida Tlaib, a US representative from Michigan, in a Tweet about Israel storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, inaccurately stated that the incident occurred on the Muslim holiday Eid Al Adha.
She tweeted a video posted by Al Jazeera reporter Arwa Ibrahim of Israeli police causing destruction and shooting bullets on the Aqsa Mosque compound.
Tlaib wrote: "Why is Israel attacking Al Aqsa on Eid Al Adha (the holiest day for Muslims)? Why attack people who are literally kneeling down in prayer? Answer: To continue dehumanizing Palestinians even in prayer. It's not enough to bomb them while they sleep or demolish their homes."
Why is Israel attacking Al Aqsa on Eid Al Adha (the holiest day for Muslims)? Why attack people who are literally kneeling down in prayer? Answer: To continue dehumanizing Palestinians even in prayer. It's not enough to bomb them while they sleep or demolish their homes. https://t.co/dzp8wMJBX8
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) July 18, 2021
The Tweet now has over 3,000 retweets and 6,000 likes.
Tlaib claimed that Israel's attack occurred on Eid Al Adha. The holiest day for Muslims, however, began the following evening, July 19, rather than July 18 as Tlaib stated. The incident did occur on the Day of Arafah, however, which is commemorated every year on the day before Eid al-Adha, and is considered the holiest day of the Islamic year.
Tlaib was criticized in reply tweets about her confusion between these days and failure to mention that the event occurred on Tisha B'Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
Arsen Ostrovsky, International Human Rights Lawyer and Political Analyst, replied to Tlaib's Tweet saying "your lying, incitement and racial hatred against Jews is just relentless! For the record, today is also #TishaBeav, the saddest and one of most important days of the Jewish calendar, that marks the destruction of our Temple. You really have no shame, do you?"
The Palestinian Authority condemned Sunday's incident in a statement saying, “the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for the escalation resulting from the Israeli incursion in the Al-Aqsa mosque complex in occupied Jerusalem.”