Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) retweeted a false and unverified accusation that a herd of violent Israel settlers kidnapped, assaulted and murdered an Arab child from Beit Chanina who disappeared late Friday afternoon.

As Israel Police searched for the boy throughout the night in difficult conditions, some of the boy’s relatives claimed that security camera footage showed the boy being dragged into a car by a stranger and began spreading rumors that Jewish “settlers” in the nearby neighborhood of Neve Ya’akov kidnapped the boy. They even issued a statement that if the unverified rumor is true and the boy was kidnapped by “settlers” it would set the entire neighborhood on fire.

After the police and parents examined the footage, they said it was not connected to the missing boy. Nevertheless, dozens of Arabs marched toward Neve Ya’akov on Friday night and began rioting and throwing stones at the police when they were prevented from entering the area.

Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi re-tweeted a tweet accusing a ‘herd of violent Israeli settlers of kidnapping and assaulting the boy and then throwing him into a water well” and also claiming that IDF soldiers assaulted Arab search teams.

https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1221092381845598210?s=20

Tlaib re-tweeted Ashrawi. However, although Ashrawi later apologized for her tweet and admitted that the claims were unverified, Tlaib did not bother posting an apology for her re-tweet.

The Al-Quds newspaper published the entirely baseless accusation on its front page on Shabbos morning, writing: “Jerusalem [Arab] residents are searching for a missing boy. The police of the ‘occupation’ are oppressing residents who protested opposite Neve Ya’akov and demanded to find out what happened to him. The suspicion: He was kidnapped by ‘settlers.'”

Ambassador Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel in New York condemned Tlaib for her tweet. “I am always extremely cautious in criticizing US elected officials. However, when an American elected official retweets an unfounded blood libel against Jewish Israelis, I cannot remain silent. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib just did.”

I am always extremely cautious in criticizing US elected officials. However when an American elected official retweets an unfounded blood libel against Jewish Israelis, I cannot remain silent. Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib just did.

— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) January 25, 2020

Middle East Foreign Policy Analyst Arsen Ostrovsky wrote “Seriously Rashida Tlaib?… This was a tragic case of a child who went missing and fell into a pool of rainwater. Have you no shame in reposting these lies?”

החיפושים אחר קאיס אבו רמילה נמשכים. בינתיים, הנה ידיעה בשער של עיתון אל-קודס שכבר הופץ בחנויות: "הירושלמים מחפשים אחר ילד שנעדר… משטרת הכיבוש מדכאים תושבים שהפגינו מול נוה יעקב ודרשו למצוא את גורלו… חשש שהוא נחטף ע"י מתנחלים".
מסגור וכו' pic.twitter.com/9RUr6NIvED

— Suleiman Maswadeh סולימאן מסוודה (@SuleimanMas1) January 25, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)