According to a report, House Democrats will not condemn anti-Semitism specifically following the controversy over Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), but will instead condemn “all hate” in general.
Last month, Ilhan Omar created fresh controversy by making an anti-Semitic comment implying that pro-Israel Americans had an “allegiance to a foreign country.”
Omar suggested earlier in February that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was bribing politicians into supporting Israel and as a result was widely criticized as anti-Semitic.
However, Democrats reportedly do not see the need to pass a resolution condemning anti-Semitism specifically.
The Daily Beast reports:
House Democrats spent Wednesday scrambling to put to bed a debate about anti-Semitism that no one wants after advancing a symbolic resolution condemning it that pleased no one.
The resolution, as it was initially conceived in the hours after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) made a second round of anti-Israel comments last week, would condemn anti-Semitism—a second public rebuke of the freshman lawmaker who has been in office less than 60 days.
But by midweek, faced with a backlash inside the Democratic Caucus, leaders appeared to change course, asking the House Foreign Affairs Committee to draft a resolution that rebuked “all hate.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters Wednesday that she did not believe Omar was being “intentionally” anti-Semitic when she implied that pro-Israel Americans have dual loyalty.
President Donald Trump condemned anti-Semitism in a social media post on Wednesday:
It is shameful that House Democrats won’t take a stronger stand against Anti-Semitism in their conference. Anti-Semitism has fueled atrocities throughout history and it’s inconceivable they will not act to condemn it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2019
“It is shameful that House Democrats won’t take a stronger stand against Anti-Semitism in their conference,” the president said.
“Anti-Semitism has fueled atrocities throughout history and it’s inconceivable they will not act to condemn it!”
2020 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) defended Omar Wednesday, saying that Americans shouldn’t “equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel.”
New: Bernie Sanders speaks out against Ilhan Omar treatment. "What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate. That's wrong.” pic.twitter.com/L9AWvwgbsz
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) March 6, 2019
“Rather, we must develop an even-handed Middle East policy which brings Israelis and Palestinians together for a lasting peace,” he said.
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