U.S. Politics
“The resolution fails to mention [Minnesota Rep. Ilhan] Omar by name,” said American Jewish Congress president Jack Rosen. “Now that her anti-Semitic statements have become a pattern, Congress should have the courage to call her out clearly.”
Palestinian leader Saeb Erekat said the international community should “not to engage in any kind of formal relationship or collaboration” with the embassy, which now includes the Palestinian affairs unit.
The move comes one day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other bigotry.
The final tally of the legislation, which defines anti-Semitism as “the centuries-old bigotry and form of racism faced by Jewish people simply because they are Jews,” was 407-23.
Pro-Israel and Jewish groups have been pushing the Democratic Party to take a stand against anti-Semitism and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s remarks, which could undermine the party’s position for criticizing Republicans and U.S. President Donald Trump for their views on racism.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) retweeted a post from a supporter of the U.S.-designated terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
The resolution states that “anti-Semitism entails prejudicial attitudes or discriminatory acts toward people who are Jewish on the basis of their identity.”
The U.S. Consulate General covered Palestinian affairs, which have now been included in operations into the embassy.
The bill emphasizes the strategic importance of Israeli control over the Golan Heights, which the Jewish state captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, in protecting civilians against threats from Iran in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“This is expected to be the first international conference of its sort, and we can’t think of a better place to hold it,” says Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel. “The proposed conference will present the unshakeable alliance between the U.S. and Israel.”
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also repeatedly promised to relocate the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The anti-BDS component of the legislation has divided Democrats.
