Ilhan Omar, November 2012:
Ilhan Omar, June 2018:
Ilhan Omar, January 2019:
Aussie Dave, January 2019:
More here:
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar — who supports the boycott Israel movement and who once said that Israel “hypnotized the world” — was appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
The assignment, chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will give a vehement critic of the Jewish a state a voice — and a vote — on the powerful panel that oversees US foreign policy and foreign aid.
The freshman Democratic legislator announced the posting on Twitter, saying the assignment would put her on a panel that “oversees all foreign assistance, national security affecting the country’s foreign policy, treaties, peacekeeping and war powers.”
While Omar did not mention Israel, she did gesture her eagerness to work toward fundamentally changing America’s relationship with another Middle Eastern ally.
“We need to investigate how foreign governments and their lobbyists have violated our laws,” she said. “And we need to reign in arms sales to human rights abusers like Saudi Arabia.”
Omar’s appointment to the House foreign affairs panel was immediately panned by critics who say her criticisms of Israel amount to anti-Semitism.
“Rep. Ilhan Omar just doubled down on her claim that “Israel has hypnotized the world,” calling its behavior “evil,” tweeted Ronna McDaniel, head of the Republican National Committee. “But instead of denouncing it, Democrat leadership rewarded her with a spot on the House Foreign Relations Committee.”
I think this speaks volumes about where the US Democrat party is today in terms of Israel and the US’ relationship with us. You can spin it anyway you want, the fact remains her anti-Israel tweets and BDS-holing are common knowledge, yet Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still saw it fit to give her a voice (and vote) on the powerful panel that oversees US foreign policy and foreign aid.
It looks like some are well and truly hypnotized after all.
Update: And this speaks volumes about J Street:
The liberal Middle East advocacy group J Street, however, which opposes the BDS movement, defended Omar’s newfound position of influence.
“At a time when there are more displaced people in the world than ever before and the Trump administration has turned its back on them, I personally believe it’s a positive development to see @IlhanMN, who came to the US as a refugee, getting a seat on HFAC,” tweeted Jeremy Ben Ami, the organization’s president.
“Frankly, some of the commentary I’ve seen about @ilhanMN’s assignment has been disgusting,” he added. “I disagree w/ her stance on BDS. But the smears of her as an anti-Semite — or suggestions that she is somehow not fit to serve on the committee — are just plain wrong.”
Update: Check out her smirk when CNN’s Christiane Amanpour mentions AIPAC.
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