House Democrats reportedly have postponed, perhaps indefinitely, a vote on a second resolution condemning anti-Semitism in the last two months, following complaints from high-profile anti-Semites that it unfairly maligned anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., even though the resolution did not even mention her by name.
UPDATE: Hoyer says no date has been set for vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hate.… https://t.co/0i3Rg5WG2r— Sheryl Gay Stolberg (@Sheryl Gay Stolberg)1551889986.0
House Majority Leader Hoyer says it hasn’t been decided if there will be a vote this week on the anti-Semitism reso… https://t.co/Y8qEP2mFcP— NBC Politics (@NBC Politics)1551890277.0
The resolution condemning anti-Semitism was drafted after Rep. Omar engaged in another series of anti-Semitic tweets targeting Israel and Jews. This isn’t a particularly new phenomenon. The Somali refugee has a long history of espousing anti-Semitism.
When asked about her comments Tuesday, Rep. Omar appeared to pretend to be on the phone in order to dodge questions from reporters.
Video: Rep. Ilhan Omar declines to answer questions from reporters about the House resolution to condemn anti-Semit… https://t.co/tAdwWYkJWV— Ashley Killough (@Ashley Killough)1551835280.0
Although Rep. Omar has been unwilling to defend her anti-Jewish rhetoric, a number of anti-Semitic individuals and groups in Congress and elsewhere have come to the forefront to defend her.
Islamic supremacist and anti-Semitic activist Linda Sarsour, a leader of the Women’s March, took to social media this week bashing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “white feminist upholding the patriarchy.” Sarsour lashed out at critics of Ilhan Omar. “We stand with Representative Ilhan Omar,” Sarsour wrote as part of a lengthy Facebook post.
Sarsour was joined by some in Congress, such as anti-Semitic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and high-profile socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., who tweeted support for their embattled colleague.
The terror-tied Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), other Islamist outfits, and anti-Israel extremist groups held rallies calling on supporters to step up and defend Rep. Omar.
Earlier Wednesday, Conservative Review’s Nate Madden pointed out that the anti-Semitism resolution was already being watered down to the point that it was completely unattached to Rep. Omar and no longer exclusive to anti-Semitism.
“The reprimand aimed at Omar doesn’t even mention the freshman congresswoman by name,” Madden writes. “[Rep. Steve] King’s did. But even that version wasn’t watered down enough for many Democrats, who also wanted the resolution changed to include other kids of religious bigotry, resulting in a big intraparty disagreement on Tuesday.”
For now, the prominent Islamist and anti-Semitic activists appear to have succeeded in putting off the congressional resolution.