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Four Jewish House Democrats on Tuesday brought charges of anti-Semitism against party colleagues who alleged Israel had committed “apartheid” and “terrorism” against the Palestinians.
Their rebuke was part of a letter to US President Joe Biden condemning the rise in anti-Semitism sparked by the Israel-Hamas war earlier this month.
A congressman who signed the letter, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, berated fellow Democrat Ilhan Omar in a nearby district, although Phillips did not use his name.
Elected officials used reckless and irresponsible anti-Semitic rhetoric, the letter sent Tuesday said.
Along with Phillips, the other signatories were fellow hawkish Democratic representatives Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey, Elaine Luria from Virginia and Kathy Manning from North Carolina. They did not name their colleagues, but included direct quotes from their controversial comments.
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Jewish Democrats also called on a Republican lawmaker who likened a mask term in Congress to the Nazi yellow star.
These include repeated, unacceptable and openly anti-Semitic statements made by a congressman comparing face masks and other COVID-19 public health measures to what happened in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust , according to the letter, referring to Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R -Ga., who drew condemnation from leaders of her own party for her remarks.
In this file photo from February 5, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo / Susan Walsh, file)
We also reject comments by members of Congress accusing Israel of being an apartheid state and of having committed an act[s] terrorism, says the letter. These statements are fundamentally anti-Semitic and contribute to a climate hostile to many Jews. We must never forget that less than eighty years ago, during the lifetime of our parents and grandparents, six million people were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust for being Jewish. Israel has long provided the Jewish people with a homeland in which they can be safe after facing centuries of persecution.
Omar and Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri have accused Israel of apartheid, and Omar has declared that Israeli airstrikes killing civilians in Gaza are an act of terrorism.
The Phillips district covers the suburbs of Minneapolis, while Omars includes part of Minneapolis. Phillips has criticized Omar in the past for his statements about Israel, but has also defended her.
President Joe Biden chats with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., And Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich, right, as he arrives at the Detroit Wayne County Metro Airport in Detroit on Tuesday May 18, 2021 (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
Hours after the letter’s publication, Omar tweeted his own condemnation of the recent surge in anti-Semitic attacks, calling it “appalling.”
“We must be clear and unequivocal: anti-Semitism is unacceptable and has no place in any movement,” she continued. “Fighting bigotry of all kinds means fighting bigotism of all kinds. “
But Omar also made a point of implicitly calling out those who attacked him, without mentioning the letter by name.
“We cannot equate legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, its policies and its military occupation with anti-Semitism. Tying the actions of the government and military of a foreign country to an entire faith does nothing to ensure the safety of the Jewish people, ”she wrote.
There are 25 Jewish Democrats in the House. The letter comes as Republican leaders who criticized Greene blasted Democratic leaders for sparing Omar, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez.
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