[ad_1]
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, seen here at a press conference last April, issued a clarification Thursday about comments she made that appear to equate the United States with Israel, Hamas and the Taliban. Stephen Maturin/Getty Images Hide the caption
Toggle caption Stephen Maturin / Getty Images
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, seen here at a press conference last April, issued a clarification Thursday about comments she made that appear to equate the United States with Israel, Hamas and the Taliban.
Stephen Maturin / Getty Images
Representative Ilhan Omar issued a statement explaining comments she made earlier this week that appeared to compare the United States, Israel, Hamas and the Taliban, drawing criticism from the party and the Democratic leadership.
The backlash unfolded when the Minnesota Democrat tweeted a video clip of her question to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. Her tweet read: “We have seen unimaginable atrocities committed by the United States, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban. I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice.”
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
We have seen unimaginable atrocities committed by the United States, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban.
@SecBlinken asked where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
– Representative Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
A group of 12 Democrats, led by Illinois Representative Brad Schneider, denounced Omar’s comments in a joint statement late Wednesday.
The deputies said that “equating the United States and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban is a misleading attack as much as it is,” and demanded that Omar clarify her statements.
They said that “ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and vile organizations that engage in terrorism at best distorts the intent argument and at worst reflects deep-rooted bias.” “The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, sometimes deserve criticism, but faulty equations provide cover for terrorist groups.”
Omar first responded by criticizing her colleagues for issuing a statement rather than speaking to her directly and saying it contained “anti-Islamic metaphors.” However, she continued to provide clarification regarding her remarks, claiming that they had been misinterpreted.
“To be clear: The talk was about accountability for specific incidents related to ICC cases, not a moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the United States and Israel,” she wrote in a press release.
“I did not in any way compare terrorist organizations to democratic countries with well-established judicial systems,” she added.
The six-person Democratic leadership team, which includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, issued a rare joint statement following Omar’s statement, writing “Welcome [Omar’s] Clarification.”
“Legitimate criticism of the policies of both the United States and Israel is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate. Indeed, such criticism is essential to the strength and health of our democracies,” the statement read. “But drawing false equations between democracies like the United States and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban provokes prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all.”
Omar’s original tweet renewed calls by several Republican lawmakers to have her removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The backlash this week echoes criticism Omar was subjected to during her first term, when she criticized a series of comments by both parties as anti-Semitic, for which she eventually issued an apology.
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!