Anti-Semitism Accepted in Congress? US Rabbinic Group Wants Ilhan Omar’s Appointment Revoked

2019 ‘Anti-Semite of the Year’ Ilhan Omar was appointed to an important House subcommittee with jurisdiction over global human rights. The Coalition for Jewish Values demands it be rescinded.

By United with Israel Staff

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 1500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, called Monday for the House Democratic leadership to rescind the appointment of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) as Vice Chair of an important House subcommittee with jurisdiction over global human rights.

Omar, despite a history of support for organizations with ties to Islamic terror and condemnations of Israel sufficient to be voted “2019’s Anti-Semite of the Year” by StopAntiSemitism.org, was named Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

In 2019, Omar’s statements made the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s list of the “Top Ten Worst Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel Incidents.”

“This appointment is both risible and dangerous. Ilhan Omar’s longstanding hatred for Israel and contempt for Jews and for America make this a mockery of human rights advocacy,” said Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Israel Regional Vice President of the CJV.

“I have little doubt that she will abuse the framework of ‘human rights’ to further her campaign to demonize the Jewish State, as the UN Human Rights Council does on an annual basis. Rep. Omar should have been stripped of her committee assignments, rather than rewarded with a promotion,” he said.

Earlier this month, Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX) also called for Omar to be removed from her committee assignments, tweeting a list of Rep. Omar’s anti-American and anti-Semitic statements. This came as House Democrats acted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her assignments, purportedly for spreading hateful and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories before running for office, while allowing both Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) to retain theirs despite vicious statements made as members of Congress.

As recently as last month, Tlaib not only condemned Israel for not providing vaccines to the Palestinian Authority –  although the PA refused to collaborate to speedily obtain and distribute COVID vaccines for its citizens – but also claimed this was “proof” that Israel is “a racist state.”

“The real concern is that House Democrats are treating anti-Semitism as a political weapon, abetted by the silence and even backing of Democratic Jewish members,” stated Rabbi Pesach Lerner, President of the CJV. “The action against Rep. Greene, coupled with the elevation of Rep. Omar, signals that Congress is now willing to tolerate anti-Semitism when it is politically advantageous to do so.”