Ilhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) says “we’re starting to have a conversation about what it means to be of people that harbor hate ... and not only think about how we engage our allies, but also how we criticize and hold them accountable.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) offered Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) the opportunity to discuss how to fight religious bigotry over Somali tea.
The freshman congresswoman said, “ … when I see Israel institute laws that recognize it as a Jewish state and does not recognize the other religions that are living in it. And we still uphold it as a democracy in the Middle East.”
“It really goes to show how colossally poor of a decision it was for Democratic leadership to put someone on the House Foreign Affairs Committee whose animus towards Jews and Israel so clouds her judgement that she can’t recognize that Israel is not only a democracy, but the only one in the Middle East,” said RJC spokesperson Neil Strauss.
House Democratic Caucus chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sidestepped the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel issues revolving around the congresswomen at issue: “I’ve found those two new freshmen members to be thoughtful colleagues on a wide variety of issues.”
While several pro-Israel groups criticized the appointment of Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has endorsed BDS, as a “dangerous development,” others expressed confidence in the pro-Israel leadership of the committee to counter her. J Street contends the attacks on her are “bigoted and deeply wrong.”
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) called on the reversal of her appointment, which was made on Jan. 17.
Former Clinton White House communications director on Tlaib, Omar, Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic agenda
“If we want to be serious, to make policy, to understand where we are, listen to members of Congress who are solid, mainstream Democrats and Republicans. Ask them about how to work together on domestic and foreign policy,” said Ann Lewis.
Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York have exhibited anti-Israel sentiment and actions that will influence some, be it their constituents or their colleagues in Congress.
Jewish Democratic group refuses to endorse Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar over anti-Israel statements
Omar, who has labeled Israel as an “apartheid regime” that has “hypnotized the world,” is favored to take a seat in Congress after winning her Democratic primary on Tuesday in Minnesota.
