Anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) penned an op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday, explaining her thoughts about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, headlined “We must apply our universal values to all nations. Only then will we achieve peace.”
Omar starts off taking aim at the might of the U.S. Military by saying: “National security experts across the political spectrum agree that we don’t need nearly 800 military bases outside the United States to keep our country safe.”
She then goes on to briefly mention human rights offenders in some other countries before getting to her main point: Israel.
It is interesting to note, that Omar never mentioned the two rockets fired from Gaza over Tel Aviv on Thursday, nor did she condemn the horrific terror attack that left two Israelis killed in cold blood on Sunday – despite that the article was published more than 12 hours after the attack. (Not a word of condemnation from her sidekick, Palestinian Rep. Rashida Tlaib either.)
The following are excerpts of the article:
Valuing human rights also means applying the same standards to our friends and our enemies. We do not have the credibility to support those fighting for human rights in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua if we do not also support those fighting for human rights in Honduras, Guatemala and Brazil. Our criticisms of oppression and regional instability caused by Iran are not legitimate if we do not hold Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to the same standards.
And we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to repression in Saudi Arabia — a country that is consistently ranked among the worst of the worst human rights offenders. Whether it is the murder of dissenters such as Jamal Khashoggi or war crimes against civilian populations in Yemen, we must hold all of our allies to the same international standards as our enemies.
This vision also applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. support for Israel has a long history. The founding of Israel 70 years ago was built on the Jewish people’s connection to their historical homeland, as well as the urgency of establishing a nation in the wake of the horror of the Holocaust and the centuries of anti-Semitic oppression leading up to it. Many of the founders of Israel were themselves refugees who survived indescribable horrors.
We must acknowledge that this is also the historical homeland of Palestinians. And without a state, the Palestinian people live in a state of permanent refugeehood and displacement. This, too, is a refugee crisis, and they, too, deserve freedom and dignity.
A balanced, inclusive approach to the conflict recognizes the shared desire for security and freedom of both peoples. I support a two-state solution, with internationally recognized borders, which allows for both Israelis and Palestinians to have their own sanctuaries and self-determination. This has been official bipartisan U.S. policy across two decades and has been supported by each of the most recent Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as well as the consensus of the Israeli security establishment. As Jim Mattis, who later was President Trump’s defense secretary, said in 2011 , “The current situation between those two peoples is unsustainable.”
Working toward peace in the region also means holding everyone involved accountable for actions that undermine the path to peace — because without justice, there can never be a lasting peace. When I criticize certain Israeli government actions in Gaza or settlements in the West Bank, it is because I believe these actions not only threaten the possibility of peace in the region — they also threaten the United States’ own national security interests.
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3 Responses
how about making homeland for “Palestinians” in Somalia.
We need to take several things into account. We appreciate brand new congress woman Omar trying to change US foreign policy includsing the decades old relationship with one of our allies within 3 months of her first entry into Congress. We need to take into account that there are over 20 Arab and Moslem countries on land larger than all Northern America. They are Overwhelmingly Dictatorships and have lack of religous freedom and political freedom and womens rights. In the large area of the MIddle East, North Africa and Persian Gulf ONLY ONE COUNTRY Has Full Freedom of Religoun, womens rights and an elected Parliament – that is ISRAEL! This has Much to do wit the Special Relationship the US has with Israel, an “Aircraft carrier” in an Ocean of dictatorships! We must also take into account when the Moslem and Arab and Third World AUTOMATICALLY votes at the UN Against the small land of Israel while ignoroing the rights abuses and dangers of so many others including the greatest such abusers, it is more important than ever that the US stand strongly with her. We must ALSO take into account HAMAS rules GAza and they openly Aim to Destory Israel by firing thousands of rockets or making terror tunnels and JIhad terrorism. In the West Bank the Pallestinian Authrity Indoctrinates in schools and Mosques and controlled Media to destroy Israel as Holy MArtyrs and PAY those that kill Israeli Jews! These must be referenced before we choose , as brand new congress members, to Change US policy and Weaken a Decades old ally.
I heard an interesting observation. Why does a woman who comes from a historically perennial failed state feel the need to fill all her time worrying instead about Israel?
If you’re going to worry about dual allegiances, maybe she should get her priorities straight first.