A string of allegedly anti-Semitic public comments from freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar has enraged fellow Democrats and forced Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House leaders to take fresh action against one of the early stars of the freshman class.
Lawmakers will vote Wednesday on a House resolution condemning anti-Semitism prompted by comments Omar (D-MN) made last week at an event where she suggested that supporters of Israel’s government have an “allegiance to a foreign country.”
The draft resolution “acknowledges the dangerous consequences of perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes” and “rejects anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States.”
It does not specifically rebuke Omar.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the cover of Rolling Stone with newcomers Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jahana Hayes, and Ilhan Omar.
Still, chastising her indirectly represents an uncomfortable development for Democrats who have been celebrating Omar, a Somali-American immigrant, as a symbol of an historically diverse House freshman class.
This month, Rolling Stone magazine featured a smiling Omar on the cover alongside Pelosi (D-Calif.) and fellow newcomers Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Jahana Hayes (Conn.) — an image that was celebrated Saturday in a tweet by Pelosi’s political operation.
But just days prior, Omar had rekindled a firestorm over her criticism of Israel by speaking frankly about the motivations of the nation’s U.S. supporters.
“I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” Omar said at the event, held last Wednesday at a Washington restaurant that frequently hosts left-wing artists and activists.
According to critics, Omar’s comments played into a long-standing attack that Jews cannot be considered loyal citizens of their home countries — and they came after two previous occasions where Omar apologized for making comments with anti-Semitic overtones in the course of criticizing Israeli government policy.
“The idea that certain members of Congress seemingly believe it is acceptable to use historic anti-Semitic tropes accusing Jews of dual loyalty, despite the broad condemnation of the entire House Democratic leadership, is beyond me,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who has been involved in crafting the resolution.
He called Omar’s rhetoric “reminiscent of other hurtful episodes in our history, including when President John F. Kennedy’s loyalty was called into question simply because he was Irish Catholic.”
Omar apologized in January for a 2012 tweet in which she said Israel had “hypnotized the world” and apologized again last month after suggesting on Twitter that Israel’s supporters were motivated by campaign contributions.
That prompted the House to add Republican-offered language to a recent measure on the “importance of combating anti-Semitism.”
But Omar has not apologized for her most recent statements, defending them instead in Twitter postings Sunday.
“I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel,” she wrote. “I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks.”
Omar has herself been subject to attacks based on her religion, including the posting of a sign at the West Virginia state capitol linking her to the 9/11 attacks.
“Terrorist” poster of Rep. Ilhan Omar at the West Virginia statehouse.
The sign, at an event hosted by the state Republican Party and surrounded by pro-Trump paraphernalia, juxtaposed an image of the attack on the World Trade Center with a photo of Omar at a congressional hearing — with text calling it “proof you have forgotten.”
The incident sparked violence, with Democratic Del. Mike Caputo kicking open a door and injuring a doorkeeper.
Sergeant-at-Arms Anne Lieberman was accused of saying, “All Muslims are terrorists,” during the incident.
She has resigned her post.
The West Virginia Republican Party issued a statement on Saturday rebuking the poster.
It is still unclear who is responsible for the poster.
A statement from ACT for America, an anti-Muslim advocacy group, denies responsibility for it.