Jewish American teams defended Rep. Ilhan Omar after McCarthy accused the lawmaker of antisemitism.
In his quest for the Home speaker’s gavel, Republican chief Rep. Kevin McCarthy has pledged to take away Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar from her seat on the Home Overseas Affairs Committee for allegedly making antisemitic feedback. Jewish American teams got here to Omar’s protection this week, dismissing the accusations in opposition to her and mentioning antisemitism within the GOP’s personal ranks.
In the meantime, McCarthy is outwardly holding weekly technique conferences that embody Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, no less than based on Greene. The MAGA sensationalist from Georgia as soon as repeated an antisemitic conspiracy concept blaming wildfires on what are actually infamously dubbed “Jewish area lasers.” Greene has confronted requires censure after indulging conspiracy theories and attention-grabbing stunts, together with latest social media posts casting President Joe Biden as Adolf Hitler. Greene has additionally likened masks mandates and vaccines to the Holocaust.
Omar was accused by right-wing teams of antisemitism for calling attention to the human price of U.S. wars within the Center East and the Israeli safety state’s unlawful occupation of Palestine. A coalition of liberal and reform Jewish nonprofits, together with Habonim Dror North America, J Avenue, New Israel Fund, stated this week that the accusations in opposition to Omar are “false.”
“We could not agree with a few of Congresswoman Omar’s opinions, however we categorically reject the suggestion that any of her coverage positions or statements benefit disqualification from her function on the committee,” the teams wrote in a joint statement this week. The Jewish Telegraphic Company, a nonprofit information outlet, noted that the assertion is “unusually combative for Jewish nonprofits” and insinuates that “McCarthy got here nearer to expressing antisemitism than Omar did.”
Throughout an interview with Steve Bannon on the far proper propagandists “Struggle Room” podcast, Greene stated she is usually assembly with McCarthy and a gaggle of Republicans referred to as “the 5 households,” a reference to the East Coast mafia. Greene just lately got here below hearth after she apparently “joked” in the identical interview that the January 6 rioters would have received the day had Greene and Bannon been armed and main the lethal cost in opposition to the Capitol.
The Home voted to strip Greene of her committee assignments in 2021 for embracing harmful conspiracy theories, leaving her followers on the intense far proper hungry for revenge. For McCarthy and the GOP, nixing committee assignments for outstanding Democrats, particularly Omar, a progressive from Minnesota and the primary Black Muslim girl elected to Congress, is purple meat for a MAGA base that usually shares racist memes of the lawmaker on social media.
McCarthy is strolling a political tight rope over numerous GOP factions with a view to rally help for changing into speaker. The GOP management’s skill at hand out plum committee assignments below the incoming Republican majority is a serious supply of leverage. Some Republicans fear that giving Greene and different conspiracy-minded extremists extremely coveted slots on a brand new oversight committee deliberate for focusing on Democrats would result in a embarrassing circus and backfire, based on Insider.
The Jewish American teams prompt McCarthy is exploiting controversy over antisemitism for partisan acquire. Based on the assertion:
Chief McCarthy’s pledge appears particularly exploitative in gentle of the rampant promotion of antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories by him and his prime deputies amid a surge in harmful right-wing antisemitism. He posted (and later deleted) a tweet charging that George Soros and two different billionaires of Jewish descent have been searching for to “purchase” an election. His newly elected Whip Tom Emmer stated the identical folks “basically purchased management of Congress.
McCarthy’s has additionally promised to strip Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell of their seats on the Home Intelligence Committee. The 2 Democrat congressmen are main targets of the right-wing media and fierce critics of former President Donald Trump. These pledges are clearly motivated by partisanship, not precept, the Jewish teams stated, and McCarthy’s pledge to take away Omar for voicing criticism of Israel isn’t any completely different.
Any transfer to take away Democrats from the committee would possible are available in January, based on reviews.
