A South Florida site backed out of hosting a rally with Democratic US Representative Rashida Tlaib, a staunch opponent of Israel, after complaints by a Democratic state lawmaker in the party’s latest flashpoint over its stance on Israel.

Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, was scheduled to appear Friday at a rally for three candidates in Florida’s upcoming Democratic Party primary.

However, The Venue Fort Lauderdale, which was scheduled to host the event, suddenly canceled it after State Representative Michael Gottlieb, chairman of the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus, posted a statement claiming the planned rally was an “anti-Jew” gathering and noted “the irony” that “many Jews host Bar/Bat mitzvah celebrations at the Venue, I’ve attended several myself.”

The Venue in a statement cited “increased security concerns” for its decision and said it was Jewish-owned and “our values and commitment to the Jewish community are deeply important to us.”

“We want to be unequivocally clear that the acceptance of a venue booking should never be interpreted as an endorsement,” it added.

The “chomp the oligarchy” rally was organized by groups such as “Florida Youth Justice Coalition,” “Gen-Z For Change” and a local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of........

© The Times of Israel