CAMERA Prompts The Hill to Correct: Rashida Tlaib is Not the First Palestinian-American Member of Congress

Following contact from CAMERA, The Hill has corrected a May 14, 2019 report that misidentified Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) as “the first Palestinian-American to serve in Congress” (“Republicans amp up attacks on Tlaib’s Holocaust comments”).

In fact, as CAMERA told Hill staff, While Tlaib is apparently the first Palestinian-American woman in the U.S. Congress; she is not the first Palestinian-American in that legislative body.  Congressman Justin Amash, whose father is Palestinian, has served in Congress since 2011. Republican John E. Sununu served a dozen years, starting in 1997. His father descends from Greek Orthodox Christians from Jerusalem.

And the very first Palestinian member of Congress—albeit someone who was not Palestinian Arab—was John Hans Krebs, who served in California’s 17th district from 1974-79. Krebs was born in Berlin and moved to British-ruled Mandate Palestine as a child in 1933.

On May 17, 2019, The Hill commendably changed its report to note that Tlaib is the “first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress.”

This post was corrected on July 28, 2023 to report that Krebs was born in Berlin and moved to Mandate Palestine as a child. He was not born in Mandate Palestine.