According to the breaking news, in the vote held in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, where the Republicans are in the majority, it was decided to remove Omar, who is of Somali origin from Minnesota, with 218 “yes” votes against 211 “no” votes.
Republicans voted to remove Omar from the Foreign Relations Committee, who criticized some of Israel’s policies, for “making anti-Semitic comments”.
“I WILL CONTINUE TALKING”
In his speech before the vote, Omar stated that the Republicans approached people of different skin color from certain parts of the world and Muslims as “the usual suspects”, and gave an example of the country’s first black President Barack Obama being accused of being a “secret Muslim”.
“Is anyone surprised that I’m a target? Is anyone surprised that I’m somehow not deemed worthy to talk about American foreign policy?” Omar emphasized that he did not come to the Congress to be silent, and that he will continue to speak for those seeking justice around the world, even if he is not in the committee.
MEPs DEFENDED OMAR
Before the vote, Democratic and Republican lawmakers also voiced their views on Omar’s role on the Foreign Relations Committee.
While Republican lawmakers claimed that Omar had “anti-Semitic” and moreover, “anti-American” views, Democrat MP Dean Philips, himself a Jew, opposed these allegations and defended Omar.
Philips said it would be hypocritical to remove Omar from the relevant committee, even though they have different views with him on many issues.
Citing Republican views, Philips said Omar did not spread conspiracy theories such as “whether a plane actually crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11, that space lasers funded by the Jewish Rothshild family were the cause of the wildfires in California” and that “as one Republican lawmaker did. He pointed out that he did not publish a video showing members of Congress being decapitated and killed.
“If you’re really sincere about beating anti-Semitism in America, how about asking us?” Philips said. used the phrase.
Another Jewish MP, Jan Schakowsky, said: “As a Jew, I don’t need you to defend me.” She pointed out that Omar, a Muslim American woman, is the only member of the Foreign Relations Committee of the “third largest religion in the world, Islam”.
Black Democrat MP Gregory Meeks argued that Omar could not be accused of “anti-Semitism” in this way had he been someone else.
In this context, Meeks, current Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy shared on his social media in 2019, “We can’t let Soros, Steyer and Bloomberg buy this election. Go out and vote Republican on November 6.” cited as an example.
Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim member of the House of Representatives, also said she could not control her tears and argued that the Republicans are doing their best to increase hatred against a Muslim woman. “Where are the freedom of expression fighters today? The hypocrisy here is pretty obvious,” Tlaib said. he said.
THE accusations against OMAR
Criticizing many of Israel’s policies towards Palestine, Omar’s statement in 2021 that the pro-Israel American-Israeli Public Relations Committee (AIPAC) paid US politicians to support Israel caused controversy.
After some Democrats, including former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, said the comments were “anti-Semitic”, Omar apologized, stating that “it was not his intention to offend American Jews.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy dismissed Democratic Congressmen Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee on January 25. McCarthy and Republican lawmakers had argued for some time that Omar should also be removed from his position on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Omar denies the charges against him, arguing that McCarthy and his supporters are acting for political reasons.
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, also pointed out that some “extremist” members of the Republican members used anti-Semitic expressions and described the decision to dismiss Omar as “hypocrisy”.
In 2021, Democrats also sacked Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, known for her strong support of former US President Donald Trump, from committee positions in the House of Representatives for “spreading racist rhetoric” and “conspiracy theories”.
Democrats argue that Republicans took these steps because they wanted “revenge.” (AA)