House strips Omar of Foreign Affairs Committee assignment

(February 2, 2023 / JNS) The House of Representatives voted today to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from its Foreign Affairs Committee. The decision followed repeated promises from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to remove her over a history of antisemitic remarks.

All but one Republican–218–voted to strip Omar of the assignment, while 211 Democrats backed her. Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio) voted present.

Omar has accused Israel of having “hypnotized the world” and Jews of buying control of Congress. She called Israel an “apartheid state” and likened it to the terrorist groups Taliban and Hamas.

The Republican Jewish Coalition “thanks Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) for introducing the resolution and the House GOP for their principled votes to pass it,” the RJC tweeted.

In December, several Jewish and pro-Israel groups welcomed the likely prospect of Omar’s removal in the wake of McCarthy’s long-standing pledge. The America Israel Public Affairs Committee, B’nai B’rith International, Zionist Organization of America and the RJC long supported removing Omar for her antisemitic history.

“Rep. Omar has repeated antisemitic canards and perpetuated hateful tropes against the Jewish community,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) prior to today’s vote. “Her comments have compromised the ability of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to conduct its official business.”

The watchdog StopAntisemitism tweeted that it is thrilled by the results of today’s vote. “Bigotry against the Jewish people must never be tolerated,” it stated. “We applaud current leadership for having the guts to do what should have been done a few years ago.”