August 24, 2019
Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib constantly portray themselves as victims. The latest from Tlaib is that Trump is “afraid” of her and her fellow “squad” members, (including Omar, Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez , and Ayanna Pressley) because they are “women of color”, and that Trump is a white supremacist with a hate agenda.
In actuality President Trump’s policies belie the accusation of racism; Tlaib and Omar are the ones who have exhibited hate. Their anti-israel policy agenda, is the sole reason they were barred from entering Israel last week. The display of disdain for Israel and anti-Semitic remarks from the two lawmakers is unmistakable.
Tlaib and Omar Support BDS
In contrast with almost all of their congressional colleagues both Tlaib and Omar are ardent supporters of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel (BDS). Many consider this movement an attack on Israel’s very existence. Israeli officials consider the BDS such an affront to their country that in March 2017, they enacted a law allowing the denial of entry to anyone who supports BDS.
This past July the House held a vote to condemn BDS. It passed overwhelmingly 398-17. Both Tlaib and Omar were among the few Democrats who voted against the condemnation of the boycott Israel movement,
Prior to the vote Tlaib delivered a speech in support of BDS claiming that Israel’s policies were racist and even compared the boycott Israel movement to Americans who boycotted Nazi Germany. Tlaib has also equated Israeli government policy to apartheid in South Africa.
Proponents of BDS claim that it is just an economic tool to bring about justice for the Palestinian people. However, the founder of BDS, Omar Barghouti wants more than just justice-
“Most definitely we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine…Palestinians and Arabs in general, have never and will never, recognize Israel as a Jewish state”- Omar Barghouti
Many, including most American lawmakers believe that the true purpose of BDS is to destroy Israel. Democrat from Florida, Rep Ted Deutch, who backed the anti- BDS resolution stated, “..BDS doesn’t seek social justice. It sets a world in which the state of Israel doesn’t exist.”
According to a report released by Israel entitled “Terrorists in Suits”, operatives in the terrorists groups Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation (PLFP) hold senior positions within BDS advocacy groups.
Motivation for Trip to Israel
Speaking volumes about their mindset, Tlaib’s and Omar’s itineraries designated “Palestine”, not Israel, as the destination. Further, their schedules did not list a single meeting with an Israeli official . The evidence is clear that their motivation to travel to the region was not to “conduct oversight” over foreign policy as claimed by Omar, but to further their anti- Israel agenda.
Another compelling reason to question the motive of Tlaib and Omar is the fact that they declined the bipartisan trip to Israel organized by Steny Hoyer. Just two weeks prior to their planned trip, a group of more than 70 U.S. lawmakers travelled to Israel. Rather than go with their colleagues, Tlaib and Omar planned an independent trip hosted and paid for by Miftah. Miftah is a Palestinian advocacy group that promotes anti-semitism, supports and glorifies Palestinian terrorism , and has published a Neo-nazi article.
The only reason for Tlaib and Omar to pass on the bipartisan congressional delegation to Israel, and instead travel with Miftah, is that their objective must have differed from their colleagues, and was more in -line with the ideology of their anti-Semitic’s host.
Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
Looking at the past statements made by the lawmakers, both have made undeniable anti-Israel, anti- Semitic remarks. In 2010, in a tweet, Omar accused Israel of having “hypnotized the world. May Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doing of Israel.” Earlier this year, when the tweet resurfaced Omar disavowed the tweet. However, a month later, Omar tweeted the anti-Semitic trope -“It’s all about the Benjamins, baby”, implying that U.S. lawmakers who supported Israel were being bought off by Jews.
In a Yahoo News podcast Tlaib made the bizarre revelation that when she thinks about the Holocaust it gives her a “calming feeling.” In fairness, she did not say that the actual killing of 6 million Jews made her feel this way. Nonetheless, it is shocking that anyone would claim that an event which resulted in the mass slaughter of Jews makes them feel “calm”.
Tlaib is also on record advocating for a one-state solution in the Middle East to solve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Many believe that “a one state solution” would effectively eliminate Israel as it would deny the Jewish people sovereignty over Israel.
Anti-Israeli Associations
Omar and Tlaib also have questionable supporters and relations. In attendance at Tlaib’s Detroit swearing-in ceremony, and the private dinner afterward with her friends and family, was an anti-Israel extremist -Abbas Hamideh. Hamideh, a leader in a Palestinian advocacy group, has equated Zionism with Nazism; and has referred to Israel as a “terrorist entity”.
Shortly after Tlaib’s swearing-in, a reporter noticed an alteration to a map of the Middle East hanging in her Capitol Hill office. A post-it with the word “Palestine” and an arrow pointing to Israel was placed on the map. Some have interpreted this to be an expression for the wish that Israel be eliminated.
The controversial anti-Semitic co-founder of the Women’s March, Linda Sarsour, is a supporter of both Omar and Tlaib. Sarsour attended Tlaib’s congressional swearing-in ceremony; and has referred to Omar as the “best that our community has to offer.” Omar’s first day in Congress involved a meeting with Sarsour. Both congresswomen have met multiple times with Sarsour since their elections.
Tlaib has defended convicted terrorist Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian woman convicted of murdering two American students in a 1969 Jerusalem supermarket bombing. After spending 10 years in an Israeli prison, Odeh immigrated to the U.S. In 2014 she was convicted of immigration fraud, for lying about her conviction to immigration authorities, and deported. In 2015 Tlab tweeted in support of Odeh.
Disgracefully, just last week both women shared a cartoon created by Carlos Latuff . Latuff came in second in the 2006 Iran Holocaust denial contest. Latuff frequently tweets anti-israel rhetoric, and has posted numerous tweets in support of both Tlaib and Omar. The retweeting of his artwork could be interpreted as an implicit endorsement of Latuff by the two congresswomen.
It is laughable to claim that President Trump is afraid of Omar, Tlaib, or their fellow squad members. These women are becoming the de facto head of the Democrat party. The more they speak, and publicize their radical agenda, the closer Trump inches to a landslide victory in 2020.
The question isn’t why did Israel bar two U.S. Congresswomen from entering their country, it is why are two anti-Semitic women with ideologies antithetical to American values serving in the U.S. Congress?
