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| Representative Ilhan Omar (JTA) |
I can’t
count the number of times I have extolled those virtues. I can’t even begin to cite the many examples –
there being far to many of them to discuss in one post. I have said all this many
times before and it should not be news to anyone who frequents this space.
There are some who might nevertheless question what I meant by ‘this
great country of ours’. That’s because of my equally great support for Israel.
I stand second to no one in my support of the Jewish State. Does that mean I have
dual loyalty? Which is a term used to
imply that my loyalty to Israel supersedes my loyalty to the United States?
Of course it doesn’t. I love both countries and would never do harm to either. But I am an American, Not an Israeli. Supporting one’s ancestral homeland does not mean one has dual loyalties. Are Italian Americans accused of having dual loyalties? Irish Americans" Polish Americans?
And yet when applying it to Jewish Americans this is a common antisemitic trope. One which is often used by the fringe antisemites in this country.
And this is exactly what Congresswoman Ilahn Omar is trying to sell to the
American people. Only she is not a fringe antisemite. She is celebrated as a young Muslim woman from Somalia who came here to escape persecution and managed to raise herself up to become a member of congress. A typical American success story. But she believes that my support of the Jewish state is near
traitorous!
Ms. Omar openly accused pro-Israel activists and lawmakers
of allegiance to a foreign country. Much the same thing UK’s Labour Party chief,
Jeremy Corbyn, has said about Britain’s Jews. Omar and Corbyn are indeed birds of a
feather.
Ms. Omar has not retracted her comment even after being
harshly criticized for it by Jewish lawmakers. She instead doubled down on it.
From JTA:
Omar said Wednesday during a town hall in Washington that “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.”
I don’t think there can be any doubt about it now. She is
an antisemite dressed up in sheep’s clothing.
What I mean is that she presents quite the courageous image.
She is a petite soft spoken young refugee whose sweet countenance has fooled just about
everyone. It is what got her elected to congress. Her open support of the Palestinian cause
was seen as her right and not interpreted as being antisemitic.
But Ms. Omar has now established her antisemitic credentials with her latest comment. Her
sweet countenance belies that antisemitism. Her denials can
no longer be believed.
That does not seem to stop her fellow Jewish Democrats
from trying. Several of them have said she needs to apologize. Here in part is
what one of them has said:
(Congressman Elliot) Engel continued that 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.”
What a waste of time! Even if she does apologize, of what merit is it?
I don’t know what it will take for these people to
understand that. How many more times must she come out
with anntisemtic tropes before they realize that any and all apologies uttered from
her lips are meaningless. That in her heart of hearts she believes that Jews
are traitors! Even those that serve in congress!
The time has come to shun this woman, Not because of
her concern for Palestinian suffering. Had she focused on that instead of on American
Jews, she might have gotten a pass. One could agree or disagree with her. But caring about Palestinians is not in and of itself antisemitic.
Furthermore - after apologizing for her previous use of an antisemtic trope and had not immediately used another one, her apology might have been believed to be sincere. Had she distanced herself from Louis Farrakahn who publicly supported her previous antisemitic trope... and called him out as an antisemite she might have been given her another chance. But she didn't do that. She probably appreciated his support. Calling him out it now will not change things. In addition to Corbyn, Omar joins with Farrakahn too.
If Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives have
any integrity left, they ought to stop asking her to apologize, realize who she
really is, dismiss her from the foreign relations committee and not assign her
to any other committee. They ought to shun her until the next election where, hopefully,
she will experience a resounding defeat!
