OUR House of Representatives adopted a resolution today asking removal of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the powerful Foreign Affairs Committeeafter Republicans accused her of expressing antisemitic views. Democrats, for their part, believe the decision was in retaliation for the recent expulsion of Republican members from other committees.

Ilhan Omar became the third Democrat to be expelled from a House committee this year. Former Somali refugee reportedly did a lot critical comments about Israel after 2012; – statements condemned by both sides.

“I’m a Muslim, an immigrant, and by the way, I’m from Africa,” she said in a speech before the vote, wondering if anyone was “surprised” that she was being targeted.

Removing some Democrats from Congressional committees was a promise made by Kevin McCarthy in his campaign to become the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was the Democrats, when they controlled the House of Representatives, who set the new “rules” after ousting disputed Republicans Marjorie Taylor Green and Paul Gosar from some committees, according to McCarthy. They were accused of inciting their supporters to acts of violence against their political opponents.

Ilhan Omar, one of only two Muslim women in Congress, apologized in 2019 after implying that Republicans support Israel because they receive donations from the pro-Israel lobby. Five years ago, before he was elected to Congress, he declared that Israel “put the world to sleep” and demanded that everyone open their eyes to the “atrocities” committed by this ally USA.

Democratic House Speaker Hakim Jeffreys said that appropriate disciplinary action has already been taken for Ilhan Omar’s statements and that today’s exclusion was for reasons of “political revenge.”

Source: APE-MPE-AFP-Reuters