McCarthy Cancels Anti-Israel Event at Capitol

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced this week that he is canceling an event scheduled for Wednesday at the Capitol Visitor Center that would have criticized the founding of Israel.

The event, "Nakba 75 & the Palestinian People," would have commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, which is Arabic for "catastrophe" and refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians that occurred during the founding of Israel in the 1940s.

The event was organized by several groups that have been criticized for their views on Israel, including Jewish Voice for Peace Action, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and the Institute for Middle East Understanding. 

The event was also set to feature Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who might have reserved the event's spot at the Capitol Visitor Center, which can only be reserved by a sitting member of Congress, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

"May 15th marks 75 years since the beginning of the Nakba, which means 'catastrophe,'" reads the event's web page. "Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli military violently expelled approximately three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel.

"To uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba, and educate Members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians, we've partnered together to host this congressional and community educational event, to be followed immediately afterward by dinner."

McCarthy said on Tuesday: "This event in the U.S. Capitol is canceled. Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship."

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post that he's "grateful Speaker McCarthy took rapid action. There's room to talk about the issues — but not at an event co-sponsored by people who traffic in antisemitism and hate."

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