Leading Democrats Chide Freshmen for Anti-Semitism… Sparking Outrage

Only on the left could someone cause controversy for speaking out against racism.

The two most powerful Democrat members in the House recently spoke at AIPAC (American-Israeli Political Action Conference), where they both took swipes at three of the party’s most hateful and ignorant members. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are all freshmen Democrat House members who have spent their first year in Congress being horribly racist.

They’ve also supported some very stupid, very childish policies… but we’re going to focus on their anti-Semitism.

Earlier this week, Democrat House leader Steny Hoyer (D-IL) forcefully spoke out against the hateful trio saying, “There are 62 freshman Democrats — you hear me? Sixty-two, not three.” He later added that he “stand[s] with Israel, proudly and unapologetically… When someone accuses American supporters of Israel of dual loyalty, I say: Accuse me.”

Sadly, it only took a day for him to walk that back and argue that he didn’t mean what the media seems to think he meant.

Why did he walk out such obviously righteous comments? Because his remarks had caused a backlash on the left. Because the base of the Democrat Party is virulently anti-Semitic and in full-throated support of those three freshman Democrats.

Here’s how he delivered his mea culpa:

“In pointing out that much of the press attention has been on a few new Members in particular, I was lamenting that the media does not appear to be paying enough attention to other excellent new Members who are also bringing important new energy and diverse perspectives to our Caucus and to the Congress.”

However, just a couple days later, the Speaker of the House was echoing his original statements to the same crowd.

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wasn’t as aggressive as Hoyer had been, but maybe she won’t walk her comments back later.

This is what she said:

“Israel and America are connected now and forever. We will never allow anyone to make Israel a wedge issue,” Pelosi said during her address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference Tuesday morning.

“That pledge is proudly honored in this Congress, where support for Israel remains ironclad and bipartisan,” she added…

Pelosi, a regular at AIPAC’s conference, referenced the Omar controversy in her speech Tuesday, touting that the “the full House came together to condemn the anti-Semitic myth of dual loyalty and all forms of bigotry.”

“In our democratic societies, we should welcome legitimate debate at how best to honor our values and to advance our priorities without questioning loyalty or patriotism,” she said.

“I simply declare that to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-American,” she added to applause. “It has no place in our country.”

The only problem with her statement is that by the time this came to a vote in the House, the Democrats had watered down the resolution in an effort to shield Omar from the brunt of the fallout.

The two Democrats weren’t the only ones to reference the recent spate of anti-Semitism in their party. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the conference and pointedly attacked the three freshman lawmakers.

“From this Benjamin: It’s not about the Benjamins,” Netanyahu said, responding to a tweet Omar wrote purporting that politicians’ support for Israel was linked to campaign contributions. …

“Those who seek to defame this great organization, AIPAC, those who seek to undermine American support for Israel, they must be confronted,” said Netanyahu. “Despite what they claim, they do not merely criticize the policies of the Israeli government. They do something else: They spew venom that has long been directed at the Jewish people. Again, the Jews are cast as a force for evil. Again, the Jews are charged with disloyalty. Again, the Jews are said to have too much influence, too much power, too much money.” …

Before Netanyahu spoke, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also invoked Omar, telling the crowd it would always do what is needed to defend Israel. “And let’s be clear,” he added, “we will not do this for the Benjamins.”