House

House Dems to vote on resolution in response to Omar’s latest Israel remarks

by Cristina Marcos - 03/04/19 2:20 PM ET

The House will vote Wednesday on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) latest controversial comments about the U.S.-Israel relationship, a senior Democratic aide said Monday.

Omar has come under fire for saying at a Washington bookstore forum last week that pro-Israel advocates are pushing “allegiance to a foreign country.”

{mosads}Staffs from the offices of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) worked on the resolution over the weekend.

The senior Democratic aide said the resolution, which was first reported by Politico, was being drafted before the Anti-Defamation League sent a letter on Monday urging Democratic leaders to consider a resolution condemning Omar’s remarks.

A copy of the resolution’s text obtained by The Hill does not specifically cite Omar’s latest comments.

It does state that “accusations of dual loyalty generally have an insidious, bigoted history,” and declares that the House “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.”

The resolution further notes that the history of dual loyalty accusations includes the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II and “the post-9/11 conditions faced by Muslim-Americans in the United States, including unfounded, vicious attacks on and threats to Muslim-American members of Congress.”

It won’t be the first time the House has voted in recent weeks to condemn anti-Semitism in response to comments made by Omar about Israel. Omar last month apologized after suggesting that U.S. lawmakers defending Israel were motivated by money, writing on Twitter that “it’s all about the Benjamins baby.”

Omar’s latest remarks at the bookstore event last week came while arguing that critics calling her anti-Semitic were trying to silence debate in bad faith.

“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,” Omar said.

Omar doubled down on her comments over the weekend, despite criticism from Engel and House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), both of whom are Jewish.

“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,” Omar tweeted.

“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 Anti-Defamation League had called on House Democratic leaders to formally condemn comments from freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) suggesting that pro-Israel groups push “allegiance to a foreign country.”

The group’s CEO and national director, Jonathan Greenblatt, urged Pelosi in a letter to consider a House resolution to reject Omar’s latest remark, which he said echoed an anti-Semitic slur accusing Jews of allegiance to a foreign government.

“That is why that, in light of these additional anti-Semitic statements by Rep. Omar, we ask that you give the entire Congress an opportunity, through a House resolution, to voice its rejection of her latest slur and make clear that no matter what may divide the 435 members of the House of Representatives, they are united in condemning anti-Semitism. We urge you and your colleagues to send the unambiguous message that the United States Congress is no place for hate,” Greenblatt wrote.

Greenblatt, in his letter to Pelosi, acknowledged that the controversy came as a poster on display at the West Virginia statehouse comparing Omar to the terrorists in the Sept. 11 attacks caused a fight to break out in West Virginia.

“Linking Omar (and by extrapolation other Muslim-Americans) to the 9/11 attacks is unconscionable, and an extremely dangerous incitement to violence. However, that offense cannot excuse or rationalize anti-Semitism. If anything, it should remind someone how hurtful such hateful stereotypes can be,” Greenblatt wrote.

Engel had issued a statement late Friday accusing Omar, who serves on his committee, of invoking a “vile anti-Semitic slur” and called on her to apologize.

“Her comments were outrageous and deeply hurtful, and I ask that she retract them, apologize, and commit to making her case on policy issues without resorting to attacks that have no place in the Foreign Affairs Committee or the House of Representatives,” Engel said in the statement.

Lowey also called for Omar to apologize.

“I am saddened that Rep. Omar continues to mischaracterize support for Israel. I urge her to retract this statement and engage in further dialogue with the Jewish community on why these comments are so hurtful,” Lowey tweeted.

Democrats are also seeking to draw attention to a tweet from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the top Republican on the Oversight Committee, for tweeting Sunday that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) was “jump(ing) to Tom $teyer’s conclusion—impeaching our President—before first document request.” One aide said that the resolution would also get votes from Democrats with Jordan’s tweet in mind.

“To be clear, this tweet counts both as inane AND anti-Semitic,” Nadler wrote in response.

-Updated 7:21 p.m.