BS BULLETIN:

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib erupted at former Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a report claimed an opportunity existed to quickly release civilian hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.
• Blinken flatly denies the account, calling it “false” and “complete fiction.”
• Tlaib accused Blinken and other Biden administration officials of lying about Gaza and asked, “How do these people sleep at night?”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib has found a new target over the Gaza war.

And this time, it’s a fellow Democrat.

The Michigan congresswoman unloaded on former Secretary of State Antony Blinken following a disputed report alleging that an opportunity existed to secure the rapid release of civilian hostages seized by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack.

Tlaib wasn’t interested in subtlety.

“How do these people sleep at night?” she demanded during an appearance on Breaking Points.

The controversy stems from a bombshell Haaretz report about the frantic hours and days surrounding the Hamas massacre.

According to the report, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani contacted Blinken on Oct. 7 and relayed that Hamas was prepared to release civilian hostages.

Haaretz reported that Blinken wanted to wait before moving forward while Israel remained under attack and planned to discuss the matter directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Blinken says that account simply isn’t true.

“For the record, this is false. Complete fiction,” the former secretary of state wrote on X after the allegation began circulating.

Other reporting has described the alleged proposal somewhat differently, including an offer involving hostages under 18 and over 50, underscoring that significant details of the purported exchange remain disputed.

Tlaib nevertheless seized on the report as further evidence for her longstanding accusation that the Biden administration mishandled the Gaza war.

She accused Blinken and other former administration officials of misleading Americans about what was happening and complained that they are now able to return to comfortable lives after leaving government.

Tlaib has been among Congress’ most outspoken critics of Israel and America’s support for its military operations in Gaza.

She has accused the Israeli government of genocide and introduced a House resolution formally recognizing what she calls the “genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

But Thursday’s attack was notable because Tlaib’s fury wasn’t primarily directed at Israel.

It was directed at Joe Biden’s secretary of state.

The underlying hostage allegation remains fiercely contested.

Hamas terrorists abducted 251 people during the Oct. 7 massacre, including children, women, elderly civilians and soldiers.

Blinken publicly demanded during the war that every hostage be released immediately and without conditions and said the Biden administration had been working through Qatar and other intermediaries to secure their freedom.

Now a new report alleges there was an extraordinary opportunity to secure civilian releases almost immediately.

Blinken says it never happened.

Tlaib apparently isn’t buying his denial.

MY QUICK TAKE

Well, this is an interesting family feud.

For years, Democrats could count on Rashida Tlaib’s Gaza flamethrower being pointed at Republicans and Israel.

Now she’s turned it around and aimed it directly at the Biden administration.

And if the underlying allegation were ever proven, there would obviously be enormous questions to answer.

But there’s one fairly important problem: Blinken says the story is fiction.

Not “missing context.” Not “I remember things differently.” Complete fiction.

So we’re currently watching Democrats fight over an alleged conversation that one of the two people supposedly involved says never happened.

Meanwhile Tlaib has already reached: “How do these people sleep at night?”

Washington may need a family therapist.

Preferably one with Middle East experience.

DBS WIRE SOURCES

• Mediaite — Rashida Tlaib unleashes on Antony Blinken as he denies shock report on Hamas hostage offer
• Jewish Insider — Blinken denies report he delayed Hamas offer to free hostages
• Times of Israel — Blinken calls reported Oct. 7 hostage offer account ‘complete fiction’
• JNS — Blinken denies Haaretz report on Oct. 7 hostage offer
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib — Resolution recognizing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza