WASHINGTON – House Democratic leaders issued a rare joint statement about comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., declaring: “Drawing false equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice.” But now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is walking back that admonishment, telling CNN that “we did not rebuke her,” but rather, “acknowledged that she made a clarification” and added that Omar is a “valued member” of the House Democratic caucus.
A valued member? Omar is a bigot with a long history of making virulent antisemitic remarks. She has said that when she hears people call Israel a democracy “I almost chuckle,” that “Israel has hypnotized the world” and that she prays that Allah will “awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” She shared a cartoon on social media that was drawn by the second-place winner of Iran’s Holocaust denial cartoon contest. She supports the antisemitic BDS movement, which seeks the economic destruction of Israel, and introduced a resolution in Congress comparing a boycott of Israel to boycotting Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. She said that U.S. support for Israel is “all about the Benjamins,” insinuating that Jews buy American influence. And she has said that politicians who support Israel “push for allegiance to a foreign country” – accusing Israel supporters in Congress of dual loyalty, a classic antisemitic trope.
After that last comment, when House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., accused her of “a vile anti-Semitic slur,” Omar was unrepentant. “I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee,” she replied, doubling down on her dual-loyalty calumny.
So, her most recent invective was not an isolated comment that needed “clarification.” It was the latest in a long string of antisemitic diatribes that have disgraced the House Democratic caucus. Yet despite this history, not only has Pelosi tolerated Omar’s abhorrent behavior; she also appointed Omar to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which helps determine U.S. policy on the Middle East. And this year Pelosi elevated Omar to serve as vice chair of the subcommittee on Africa.
A person who compares America and Israel to the Taliban and Hamas has no business serving on that panel.
Omar’s defenders respond by asking: What about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.? Greene is a disgraceful conspiracy theorist who said “there’s never any evidence shown for a plane in the Pentagon” on 9/11, called the 2018 Parkland school shooting a false flag operation, speculated that California wildfires were caused by a Jewish space laser, and most recently compared mask mandates to the Holocaust (a remark for which she, unlike Omar, apologized on Monday after a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum). But in February, the House’s Democratic majority stripped Greene of her committee assignments. How can Democrats justify removing Greene from her committee assignments but not doing the same for Omar? When Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, wondered publicly in 2019 why terms such as “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” had suddenly “become offensive,” Republicans stripped him of his committee assignments. Yet Omar makes repeated antisemitic comments, and Democrats keep her on the very committee that sets U.S. policy with regard to Israel?
Omar’s latest antisemitic outburst comes amid a surge in antisemitic violence in this country. Why won’t Democrats hold her accountable for inflaming that violence?
After all, when Republicans criticized President Barack Obama for refusing to call out “radical Islamic terrorism,” many on the left accused them of stoking anti-Muslim violence. When President Donald Trump referred to the “China virus,” the left said he was stoking anti-Asian violence. But when Omar says hateful things about Israel, no one suggests she is stoking antisemitic violence.
In defending Omar, Pelosi said she “clarified” her latest comments. Please. Omar never apologized; instead she defended her remarks by claiming, “I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.” Yes, she was. She said, “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” Moreover, she made that comment while urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to consider allowing the International Criminal Court – a tribunal that is supposed to investigate rogue regimes and terrorist states – to investigate the United States and Israel for “crimes against humanity.” That is moral equivalence.
Pelosi’s willingness to excuse the vile bigotry of Ilhan Omar is disgraceful. The fact that she needs the votes of Omar and her fellow Squad members in a narrowly divided House is no excuse. Democrats routinely chastise Republicans for putting power over principle, but then sacrifice principle when their own power is at stake.
Pelosi is more than willing to police the ranks of the Republican Party – but she shamefully tolerates antisemitism in the ranks of her own party.
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Omar isn’t only a “bigot”, Omar is a racist and a traitor to our Country.
AND pelosi is likewise a traitor, by CODDLING AND SUPPORTING this hack, omar.
This is true, but she is not alone.
The disgraceful, dishonorable, dishonest, unethical immoral, traitorous, socialist Democrat Party has become our country’s most destructive and deadliest ENEMY.
The whole world is laughing at the U.S. for allowing the Democrat Party to manipulate the elections
and elect a corrupt, demented, puppet president, who has ZERO credibility throughout the world. 🙁 🙁 🙁
Omar threatens Nancy Pelosi as well as the rest of the Squad and of course those Marxists who compose the Democrat party. The Marxist Democrat party, U.S.A. Cannot allow the true agenda of the Marxist democrats revealed by the Squad leaving Nancy Pelosi Chuck Schumber,Burnie Sanders, Maxine Waters, and the other radicals to be brought to light, this fact has Nancy on the edge of her seat not knowing just how to keep everyone in line…
IN a fight my money normally would be on pelosi. BUT with the weight the ‘squad’ seems to get, i am not so sure anymore.
Nancy is a typical democrap! A socialist who hates The USA, a dummy who sets unworkable and senseless rules, and one who is always quickly obedient to her handlers! She is allowed to hold her seat of “power” as long as the squad approves of her actions. She quit being a fair, impartial, and constructive representative of the people years ago! She must be tossed out on her rear!
“I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee,”
You are not serving this country, Omar. You like to be seen and heard as a Congressional celebrity—one of tow Muslim women who, along with several others, have created their own little circle known as The Squad—and you think you are one cool cookie because of it. I think your village is looking for its idiot, so why don’t you hurry home.
Preferably all the way BACK TO SOMALIA!
Well, why should that be a surprise?
Pelosi herself is disgraceful, so it only stands to reason her excuses for a fellow dem-rat would be disgraceful as well.
Democrats protect their own, it’s true, it happens all the time! In scandal after scandal Republicans tend to rebuke or oust the offender as being bad for party image; Democrats rally around, minimize the offensive behavior, and get that person reelected. At the moment their mission is twofold, support a failing President and Presidency no matter the effect on the nation or its people and protect the radical leftist who act and speak abominably. The Speaker can’t really offend anyone because her power is tenuous by a slim margin. The Senate Majority Leader is in a more precarious position. In truth the Democrats are scared that their hypocrisy once exposed in its entirety will doom the Party’s future (none too soon)!
AND its ABOUT TIME their party was doomed…
Doomed i say!
evil has no shame folks.
Slight correction there capricorn.. LEFTISTS have no shame!
Omar & other democraps are the pure definition of HYPOCRASY!