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Exclusive: Leading Jewish Groups Demand Anti-Semitic Omar Be Removed From Foreign Affairs Committee

Jewish groups slam Omar's anti-Semitic language, ties to groups advocating terrorism

Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar / Getty Images
March 4, 2019

A group of leading Jewish organizations petitioned the House of Representative's top Democrats on Monday, demanding that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) be removed from her position on the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee in light of her numerous anti-Semitic remarks and ties to groups that advocate terrorism against Jewish people, according to a copy of a letter exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

Omar, who has been singled out multiple times in her short career on Congress due to several anti-Semitic comments, continued to double down on her belief that pro-Israel members of Congress are more loyal to Israel than America on Sunday.

In yet another tweet alleging that those who support Israel are not loyal to America—an age old anti-Semitic canard that has earned Omar rebukes from Democrats and Republicans—Omar made clear she will not support the historic U.S.-Israel as a member of Congress.

Omar's continued use of anti-Semitic smears has now led a group of leading Jewish organizations to take action. They sent a letter early Monday to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Elliot Engel asking them to immediately strip Omar of her seat on the committee, which plays a key role in supporting the U.S-Israel military alliance.

"In light of Rep. Ilhan Omar's recent anti-Semitic tweets, statements, and address before Islamic Relief USA on Saturday, February 23rd, we, the undersigned organizations, request that you immediately remove her as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee," the groups wrote.

The organizations praised both Pelosi and Engel for being swift in their earlier denunciations of Omar's smears against Jews and Israel advocacy groups.

"We hope you will continue to demonstrate your commitment to the high moral standards of your office by removing Rep. Omar, a woman who has repeatedly exhibited strong biases against the State of Israel and the Jewish people, from this critically important and sensitive committee," the letter states.

The groups are also concerned about Omar's decision to appear before Islamic Relief USA, a group with ties to organizations that advocate terrorism against Israel.

"Rep. Omar's presence as a keynote speaker to raise funds for Islamic Relief USA, whose parent organization and chapters have documented ties to terrorist organizations, demonstrates that she has learned next to nothing over the last few weeks when she was reprimanded by your office and by other Democrats for posting ugly, anti-Semitic attacks on Jews and their organizations," the letter states.

Omar's decision to address Islamic Relief "reflects poor judgment and shows she is unfit to sit on one of the most important committees in the United States Congress," the letter states.

Sarah Stern, founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, a pro-Israel organization that spearheaded the letter, told the Free Beacon that Omar's "use of classic anti-Semitic tropes and stereotypes has touched a nerve" across the American Jewish community.

Other signatories include Alpha Epsilon Pi, the nation's top Jewish fraternity on college campuses, Americans for a Safe Israel, the Center for Security Policy, the Jewish Policy Center, the Committee for Israel, and the National Council of Young Israel, among others.

The Jewish groups do not buy Omar's apology for a recent tweet alleging pro-Israel members of Congress take their marching orders from the Jewish state.

"Even after her 'apology' for her anti-Semitism, she went on to speak at a forum together with well-known anti-Semites who have known ties to terrorist organizations and those who seek harm to the Jewish people and the destruction of the State of Israel," they write.

"We need to ensure that anti-Semitism has no place within the venerable House Foreign Affairs Committee," the letter states. "We therefore respectfully request that Congresswoman Omar be removed, immediately, from the sensitive work of the House Foreign Affairs Committee."

Published under: Ilhan Omar