Regarding Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitic slander, the US president said it was a “sad day for Israel.” In truth, it was a sad day for America.
By Daniel Krygier, United with Israel
Responding to Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s latest anti-Semitic remarks, American President Donald Trump said it was “a sad day for Israel.” Trump’s remark came after Omar claimed that American politicians “pledge allegiance to Israel,” a reference to the classic anti-Semitic trope of Jewish “dual loyalties.”
The President likely meant it was a sad day for America, but his unfortunate remark could easily be twisted by anti-Israel bigots – including Omar, the main culprit. Her anti-Semitic statements have been so extreme that Republicans and many senior Democrats have condemned them.
Omar falsely accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobbying organization, of paying members of Congress to back Israel. Let us start by separating fact from fiction: US lawmakers, regardless of their background, pledge allegiance only to their country, the United States of America. Accusing American Jews and pro-Israel Americans in generals of “dual loyalties” is not merely anti-Semitic. It is a vicious lie. In fact, liberal American Jews frequently criticize Israel on numerous issues.
Omar’s latest anti-Semitic statement is an embarrassment to Washington and is indeed a sad day for America. Never before has such blatant Jew-hatred poisoned the halls of the US congress. To make matters worse, this “new” Jew-hatred is promoted in the name of “human rights” by a black Muslim lawmaker who never misses an opportunity to portray herself as a “victim of racism.”
Like it or not, lobbying is an integral part of US politics. AIPAC is only one of many lobbying organizations in Washington and hardly the most influential one. Omar’s pernicious bigotry panders to the anti-Semitic lie that being pro-Israel goes against America’s interests. However, most Americans disagree. Poll after poll reveals that at least 70 percent of the US public supports Israel. This number is even higher among Republicans but has dropped among Democrats following the inflow of radicals, like Omar and Rashida Tlaib, into the party. In fact, hatred of Israel and hatred of America often go together among radical Islamists and extreme leftists.
US and Israel Both Benefit from Alliance
Prior to the radicalization of the Democratic party, Israel was one of few bipartisan issues that have united the majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers. US politicians support the Jewish state because it shares America’s fundamental values of freedom, justice and human progress. US-Israeli bilateral relations are strong and benefit both Americans and Israelis.
While Washington’s support to Israel is crucial, America also benefits greatly from its alliance with the Jewish state in terms of technologies, intelligence and trade. Few allies in the world have been as loyal towards America as Israel. In an era of growing global anti-Americanism, nurturing ties with a close and important ally such as Israel is clearly in America’s best interets. Omar’s anti-Semitism, on the loose in Congress, is not.