Texas Lawmaker To Greet Muslims With Israel Flag
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Texas lawmaker instructed staff to greet Muslim visitors with an Israeli flag.
Molly White, a Republican state representative, said in a Facebook posting that she would be out of the office on Thursday, Muslim Capitol Day, organized by the local Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter.
“I did leave an Israeli flag on the reception desk in my office with instructions to staff to ask representatives from the Muslim community to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws,” she said. “We will see how long they stay in my office.”
The Texas Tribune said about 100 Muslims visited the capitol, most of them students and children.
Within hours, White’s Facebook posting had drawn hundreds of replies, positive and negative, including one from Martin Woodward, who said he was Jewish, Texan and a supporter of Israel.
“Choosing to display the Israeli flag solely as a reaction to Muslim visitors is not respectful to Israel, her citizens, or her supporters,” he said. “I urge you to reconsider your actions.”
White, who engaged with other commenters, saying she would ban those who are “insulting,” did not reply to Woodward.
From her page, it appears that White backs laws that would ban Muslims from settling differences through sharia, or Islamic law.
Most Jewish groups oppose such laws, in part because they would likely also lead to restrictions on Jewish religious courts, or batei din.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
