The Democrats are learning just what it means to welcome a hard-left, anti-Israel Muslim into their ranks.
It means watching a newly-minted congresswoman’s open hostility to the Jewish state in speeches and on social media, and being forced to write a resolution condemning the hatred of Jews.
But Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the radical Muslim Somali refugee and unnamed target of that resolution, is learning something, too: You don’t cross the powerful Israel lobby.
The question, as always, is whether Democrats will hold Omar to the same standard to which Republicans held Representative Steve King, who was stripped of committee assignments after the New York Times misquoted him.
Dual Loyalty?
Omar’s latest troubles began when she implied that serving in Congress requires swearing allegiance to Israel.
“I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” she said at a Progressive Issues Town Hall meeting in Washington, D.C.
That imprudent sentiment provoked an attack from Representative Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who called suggestions of dual loyalty “a vile, anti-Semitic slur.”
Then another Jewish Democrat, Representative Nita Lowey of New York, continued remonstrating with Omar on Twitter.
“No member of Congress is asked to swear allegiance to another country.” she wrote. “Throughout history, Jews have been accused of dual loyalty, leading to discrimination and violence, which is why these accusations are so hurtful.”
Omar, forced to apologize for her “it’s all about the Benjamins” tweet last month, returned fire. “I have not mischaracterized our relationship with Israel, I have questioned it and that has been clear from my end,” she tweeted. “Our democracy is built on debate, Congresswoman! 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. The people of the 5th elected me to serve their interest. I am sure we agree on that!”
Nor did Omar, who is credibly accused of marrying her brother to commit immigration fraud, stop there: “I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. 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.”
The Resolution
The exchange inspired top Democrats to craft a resolution condemning anti-Semitism without, of course, mentioning Omar. But it does put Omar on notice.
As radical as the Democrats have become in permitting radical Muslims to infiltrate the party, they will not permit them to disrupt U.S.-Israel relations.
The resolution includes a long list of “whereas” clauses that discuss “blaming Jews when things go wrong,” “dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews,” and “dangerous anti-Semitic myths,” including “dual loyalty” and others retailed by Henry Ford.
It also observes that accusations of dual loyalty led to the internment of the Japanese, the Dreyfus affair, questions about John F. Kennedy’s loyalty because he was a Catholic, and anti-Muslim “conditions” after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
The resolution also takes note of the awful attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, and notes, citing the FBI, “a 37 percent increase in hate crimes against Jews or Jewish institutions” and that anti-Jewish attacks are “58.1 percent of all religious-based hate crimes.”
Thus, “the House of Representatives 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.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans a vote on the resolution tomorrow, while Republicans, Politico reported, might well introduce a motion to censure Omar.
Unsurprisingly, as the Daily Caller reported, radical Muslim Linda Sarsour of the Women’s March denounced Pelosi. “Nancy is a typical white feminist upholding the patriarchy doing the dirty work of powerful white men,” the hijabbed radical wrote on Facebook. “You want a resolution?” she asked. “Condemn all forms of bigotry…. We stand with Representative Ilhan Omar. Our top priority is the safety of our sister and her family.”
Can Muslim Democrats Be Controlled?
Two questions: Will Omar submit and stop criticizing Israel, and will the Democrats do anything beyond passing a resolution that doesn’t mention her?
And will she, again, lose committee assignments, including her gig on the Foreign Relations Committee? House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy immediately removed King from every committee on which he sat after he defended Western Civilization in an interview with the Times.
That said, Pelosi and other pro-Israel Democrats are likely wondering who and what they invited into their party.
Photo: AP Images
