On Thursday, ten Democrats, including Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, co-authored a statement blasting anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for her most recent bigoted comment comparing the United States and Israel to terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban.
Omar previously wrote, “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity,” She added, “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.”
But the Democrats, which included Representative Brad Schneider, and Representatives Jake Auchincloss, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Josh Gottheimer, Elaine Luria, Kathy Manning, Jerrold Nadler, Dean Phillips, Kim Schrier, Brad Sherman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, wrote the following:
Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice.
The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups. We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) also commented, but demanded Omar be removed from her committee assignments. A spokesperson for the NRCC said, “If Democrats truly cared about Ilhan Omar’s anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, they would immediately take action to remove her from her committee assignments. Speaker Pelosi’s silence on Omar’s raging anti-Semitism is downright cowardly.”
Omar’s anti-Semitic colleague Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) wrote on Twitter in Omar’s defense, “I am tired of colleagues (both D+R) demonizing @IlhanMN. Their obsession with policing her is sick. She has the courage to call out human rights abuses no matter who is responsible. That’s better than colleagues who look away if it serves their politics.”