U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., listens to a constituent in Wixom, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

By now, the dust is starting to settle from Israel barring Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country. This was done for several legitimate reasons, including the fact that they were breaking Israeli law by trying to promote the anti-Semitic boycott, divestment, and sanction movement. They also refused to even call their trip one to Israel, instead labeling it entirely “Palestine,” a place which doesn’t exist.

Afterward, Tlaib requested a humanitarian visa to visit the West Bank. Israel granted it with the only stipulation being that she can’t break their laws by promoting BDS. After making the request and it being approved, Tlaib then ran to social media to proclaim she couldn’t possibly visit under such conditions.

It was yet another stunt in what was clearly an ill-intentioned play from the beginning. These women were going to stir up more resentment (and violence, even if not directly) against Israel. That was the goal and their actions have been made clearer as the days have passed.

Not content with letting the matter lie though, both Congresswomen decided to make doubly sure we know who they are over the weekend. In a shocking, completely unexpected twist (ok, I’m lying), they both shared a cartoon by a rabidly anti-Semitic man.

Oof. Looks like both Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib shared this awful Carlos Latuff cartoon in Instagram stories yesterday. In 2006, Latuff came in second in Iran's International Holocaust Cartoon Contest, which is a thing that exists, in case you thought the TL couldn't get any worse. pic.twitter.com/uwyBPAsz7T

— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) August 18, 2019

First, can I just point out the absurdity of two women who literally never stop ranting complaining about being silenced? They do not have a right to go to Israel to stump for its destruction. That seems pretty basic, right?

So, who is Carlos Latuff?

Here’s a short bio via Wikipedia (sourced with links).

Carlos Latuff (born 30 November 1968) is a Brazilian freelance political cartoonist.^[1] His works deal with an array of themes, including anti-Zionism, anti-globalization, anti-capitalism, and opposition to U.S. military intervention. He is best known for his images depicting the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab Spring events.

Sounds like a completely normal, not at all anti-American source. Promoting the disastrous Arab Spring, “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Zionism.” Of course, his worse sin is his rabid anti-Semitism. He won Iran’s “Holocaust Cartoon Contest” in 2006 because that’s a real thing apparently.

Latuff’s background isn’t in question. This is two Congressional members with anti-Semitic histories of their own sharing the work of someone so blatantly anti-Semitic that he makes fun of the Holocaust.

But if you flip on the news, there’s no story here apparently. The only sources reporting this are the New York Post, Fox News, and various other right-leaning outlets. The same media who lose their ever-loving minds if the President shares a wrestling meme of CNN can’t find any time in their firefighting schedules to condemn another act of anti-Semitism on the part of half the much-ballyhooed “squad.”

None of this is accidental at this point. This is who these women are. Anti-Semitism is ingrained in their thinking. They won’t be persuaded or swayed by facts counter to their warped world view. America is going to have to decide whether they accept or reject this.

I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.