Arizona State University canceled an event featuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Friday after a statement from state lawmakers that the congresswoman's "extremist, antisemitic views" were not welcome in the Copper State.
Tlaib was scheduled to attend an event titled "Palestine is an American Issue" on Friday afternoon hosted by the Arizona Palestine Network, a pro-Palestinian group. However, a university spokesperson told the Arizona Republic on Friday that the event was canceled over procedural problems.
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"Organizers of events using ASU facilities must be properly registered with ASU and must meet all university requirements for crowd management, parking, security, and insurance. In addition, the events must be produced in a way which minimizes disruption to academic and other activities on campus," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The event featuring Congresswoman Tlaib was planned and produced by groups not affiliated with ASU and was organized outside of ASU policies and procedures. Accordingly, that event will not take place today on the ASU Tempe campus."
The event's cancellation comes a day after a bipartisan group of four Arizona lawmakers — Republican state Reps. Michael Carbone and Alexander Kolodin and Democratic state Reps. Alma Hernandez and Consuelo Hernandez — wrote a letter responding to the Students for Justice in Palestine hosting Tlaib at the university's Tempe campus.
"The State of Arizona is a safe place for Jews, both on and off campus, and the antisemitic rants regurgitated by SJP and others are not representative of Arizona values," the lawmakers said. "Students supporting Israel have been verbally and physically assaulted on campus in recent days, requiring police escort during SJP rallies."
The lawmakers said that rather than hosting Tlaib, SJP should call for the release of Abigail Edan, a 3-year-old girl with ties to Arizona who was taken hostage by Hamas. CNN reported that Edan is the youngest American hostage and the only U.S. minor child being held. A family member told the outlet that Edan's parents were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
"Congresswoman Tlaib is of course free to speak on ASU’s campus, and we commend our universities for supporting free speech and hosting uncomfortable conversations. However, ASU should not use public dollars, collected through student fees, to support SJP — an organization that, in addition to opposing the existence of Israel, proudly denies the existence of the United States," the Arizona lawmakers said.
The Arizona Palestine Network released a template on Thursday for students to send an email to ASU Senior Vice President Lisa Loo urging her not to cancel the event with Tlaib.
"Arizona State University’s attempt to cancel today’s Rashida Tlaib speaker event is completely unacceptable. Rashida Tlaib must be heard on campus as the only Palestinian member of Congress who plans to speak on an American issue at this event. ASU cannot claim to hold free speech as a principle while denying Palestinians their voices on campus," the template reads.
"Cancelling this event puts the university in direct contradiction with its charter as a university 'measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed.' ASU cannot impose requirements on the event not imposed on other ASU groups or faculty when they sponsor a lecture. I call on you to allow Rashida Tlaib to speak on campus today."
Tlaib was censured by the U.S. House on Nov. 7 for “promoting false narratives” about the Oct. 7 attack and allegedly calling for the “destruction of the state of Israel.”
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The Michigan Democrat, who is the only Palestinian American in Congress, has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for embracing the phrase "from the river to the sea," which some people claim is a call for the eradication of Israel. Tlaib has defended the use of the phrase, arguing it is an "aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” and not “death, destruction, or hate."
The Washington Examiner reached out to Arizona State University, as well as Tlaib, for comment.