Omar tweet draws swift reprimand from Dems
Legislator pushes back, clarifies linking nations
WASHINGTON – A group of House lawmakers is criticizing Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for what they said was comparing the human rights records of the United States and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban – a rare public rebuke against a fellow Democrat.
“Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided,” Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider and 11 other Democrats wrote in a joint statement Wednesday. “Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice.”
“The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups,” they said. “We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.”
Schneider led the group, which included Reps. Jake Auchincloss (Massachusetts), Ted Deutch (Florida), Lois Frankel (Florida), Josh Gottheimer (New Jersey), Elaine Luria (Virginia), Kathy Manning (North Carolina), Jerrold Nadler (New York), Dean Phillips (Minnesota), Kim Schrier (Washington), Brad Sherman (California), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida).
The group was reacting to a tweet Omar posted Monday: “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” She included a video of her questioning Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a hearing.
In a Thursday tweet, Omar called it “shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for ‘clarification’ and not just call. The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable.”
Later, Omar said that she was not drawing a moral equivalency but that she instead was asking Blinken about ongoing International Criminal Court investigations into alleged atrocities.
Democratic House leaders, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., issued a statement trying to quell the uproar and said they “welcome the clarification” from Omar.