Posted on 02/11/2019 12:03:23 PM PST by jazusamo
In an unprecedented rebuke under the new Congress, House Democratic leaders on Monday roundly condemned Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for statements about supporters of Israel that were widely viewed as anti-Semitic and called on her to apologize.
The statement issued by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic leadership team followed the latest in a string of controversial comments from the freshman lawmaker -- as well as pressure from Republican leaders to speak out.
“Anti-Semitism must be called out, confronted and condemned whenever it is encountered, without exception," the statement said. "We are and will always be strong supporters of Israel in Congress because we understand that our support is based on shared values and strategic interests. Legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share. But Congresswoman Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive.
"We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments."
The statement came after several other senior Democrats had weighed in, including the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on which Omar sits. “Anti-Semitism in any form is unacceptable, and it’s shocking to hear a Member of Congress invoke the anti-Semitic trope of ‘Jewish money,’” Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said earlier Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Either they’re trying to improve their optics or they recognize the threat.
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