Rep. Rashida Tlaib presses Joe Biden on Palestinian rights as he faces growing pressure over Mideast

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, met briefly with President Joe Biden in Michigan on Tuesday morning, telling him the U.S. must take steps to address violence and human rights abuses against Palestinians by Israelis.

"Palestinian human rights are not a bargaining chip and must be protected, not negotiated," Tlaib's office said the congresswoman told the president.

Tlaib, who met with Biden along with U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, at Detroit Metro Airport, made the comments following a spike in violence in the Middle East over the last week, with rocket attacks, beatings and other fighting leading to the deaths of more than 200 people.

Biden was in southeastern Michigan to tour a Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn, which has a large Arab American community and on Tuesday saw several protests against continued support of Israel by Biden and the U.S.

Critics of the Israeli government argue that Palestinians are being pushed out of their homes and denied basic rights. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, a territory that has been blockaded by Israel, has been lobbing rockets at Israeli targets. Palestinian territories, however, have borne the brunt of the violence and deaths from Israeli attacks.

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Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress and whose grandmother lives on the West Bank, which is controlled by Israel, has been an outspoken critic of Israel. Her office said when speaking with Biden — who has said he supports a cease-fire but also recognizes Israel's right to defend itself — she "conveyed... the same messages she has shared on the House floor and publicly. ... The U.S. cannot continue to give the right-wing Netanyahu government billions each year to commit crimes against Palestinians."

"Atrocities like bombing schools cannot be tolerated, much less conducted with U.S.-supplied weapons. Congresswoman Tlaib reiterated that the status quo is enabling more killing, that the current U.S. approach of unconditional support for the Israeli government is not working, and that the White House must do far more to protect Palestinian lives, dignity and human rights," her office said.

The situation wasn't the only thing they talked about: Tlaib also said she appreciated that Biden was in metro Detroit to tour a plant dedicated to making electric trucks with union labor. "A green future means good-paying union jobs for our community," her office said.

During his speech at the Ford plant, Biden singled out both Dingell and Tlaib and said that he admired Tlaib's intellect and compassion. He said he hoped that her family on the West Bank was safe.

"I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure they are," Biden said.

His administration, however, made it clear that while it is working to resolve the current fighting, it won't do so publicly.

His press secretary, Jen Psaki, said that much of the discussions on ending violence were happening — and would continue to happen — outside of public view. "Sometimes diplomacy has to happen behind the scenes," she said.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rashida Tlaib talks to Joe Biden about Israeli-Palestinian conflict