Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is back under fire as Republicans in the House are gearing up for another censure resolution following her recent anti-Semitic remarks. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), was sparked by Omar’s comments at Columbia University, where she labeled Jewish students as “pro-genocide.”
Omar, one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, has drawn ire for her rhetoric regarding Israel and the Jewish community. Bacon’s resolution seeks to reprimand her for her “recent hateful comments and history of antisemitism.”
“She is perpetuating and increasing antisemitism in our country,” Bacon declared after filing the resolution. “The House of Representatives needs to take a strong stand and condemn these divisive and racist remarks that she has made, and those who continue to excuse her egregious behavior must stop.”
In Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, home to diverse Jewish and Muslim populations, Omar’s words have stirred up tension and concern. The district has a significant concentration of synagogues and mosques, and voters are increasingly uneasy. In the Democratic presidential primary, over 30% of Omar’s constituents were dissatisfied with President Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and voted “uncommitted.”
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who almost defeated Omar in the 2022 primary, criticized her for inflammatory comments that he believes misrepresent her constituents. “Once again, we’re in an unfortunate and familiar cycle,” Samuels told The Epoch Times. “Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says something inflammatory and offensive.”
Democratic candidate Timothy L. Peterson echoed Samuels’ concerns, highlighting the worries of Jewish residents over Omar’s divisive rhetoric. He also questioned her alignment with the district’s core values. “I think most people that live up to the core values of the [Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party] that Hubert Humphrey created to guard against communism and anti-Semitism are absolutely unhappy with Ilhan Omar as a representative,” Peterson said.
“Tyranny is when the loud voices of a few impose their will on many. Only 55,000 of the over 700,000 people in our district voted for Ilhan. The majority of the rest of those folks are very unhappy with her.”
Omar’s opponents believe her track record, including past tweets and speeches critical of Israeli policies, continues to damage trust in her district. Her infamous 2012 tweet suggesting that “Israel has hypnotized the world” remains a point of contention, for which she apologized in 2019. Her spokesperson insists Omar unequivocally opposes anti-Semitism, but the recent controversy indicates unrest in her base.
Progressive Jewish Democrat Jerry Ribnick expressed his disappointment in Omar’s leadership, noting her role in fueling polarization rather than fairly representing the entire community. “It felt very disingenuous that she was trying to walk a very fine line, if not out and out misrepresenting herself,” Ribnick said. “You could certainly feel the hostility, I would say, to the Jewish community already.”
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