RAMALLAH, Wednesday, November 07, 2018 (WAFA) – Nabil Shaath, advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas for international and foreign affairs, congratulated Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to win a seat in the US Congress.

Tlaib won the Democratic Party’s seat for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District in the midterm elections held in the United States on Tuesday. She is also the first Muslim women to ever win a seat in Congress.

Shaath cabled Tlaib congratulating here for her victory and for being the first Palestinian-American to become a Congresswoman. He said that all the Palestinian people are proud of her well-deserved victory.

"Your victory has brought joy and delight not only to your immediate constituency in Michigan or to the supporters of the Democratic Party, but to the hundreds of millions of people around the world who see your success as a triumph for the values you hold, values of justice, integrity and equality, as well as a victory for the hard working women and the immigrants and their sons and daughters who will see your success as an incentive for them to work for a better future for themselves and their community," Shaath told Congresswoman Tlaib.

“Your Palestinian people in Palestine and in the diaspora are proud of your success,” he added. “They are confident that your victory in itself represents a strong message to the entire world that the people who can conceive Rashida Tlaib deserve freedom and justice, and that all peace-loving forces and all those who believe in justice, freedom and dignity have won a courageous and powerful voice in Congress.”

The Palestinian official concluded: "We congratulate you on this great victory, and we congratulate the Democratic Party, your loyal constituency and all our Palestinian people for this historic achievement. We hope and are confident that your performance in Congress will be distinguished and will encourage the American public to elect more young women who are courageous, honest and efficient."

Tlaib, 42, is the eldest of 14 children. Her father was born in Beit Hanina, a neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, and her mother was born in Beit Ur El Foka, north of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Her parents settled in Detroit after immigrating to the United States.

M.K.