tomorrow the Democratic controlled House of Representatives is set to vote on and
expect it to overwhelmingly pass a
resolution rejecting anti-semitism as
hateful expressions of intolerance that are
contradictory to the values that define
the people of the United States. Now,
though, it doesn't mention her by name,
the measure is seen in part as a rebuke
of Democratic congresswoman Ilan Omar in response to her recent tweets
questioning US policy on Israel,
especially this one answering fellow
Democratic leader Lowry: Our democracy is built underbake congresswoman I should
not be expected to have allegiance
pledge support to a foreign country in
order to serve my country in Congress
or serve on committee. Now, that remark
alleging, some say, the anti-semetic
charge of dual loyalty among Israel
supporters has fought condemnation
across the political spectrum from
liberal Democrats to, of course, President
Trump. Well, for more we are joined from
Washington by Ariel Gold — she's the
national co-director of Codepink Women
for Peace. It's a group that, among other
things, does support the boycott
divestment from its sanctioning of
Israel over its policies toward the
Palestinians. Also joining us from
Washington is Halie Soifer. She's
executive director of the Jewish
Democratic Council of America and a
former senior policy adviser for US
Ambassador to the UN Samantha Powers/
Halie let me start with you is the
Democratic leadership right to both
introduce this resolution and also to
condemn those who are more those remarks
not her but I should say there are marks
of a Congresswoman Omar absolutely we
strongly support this effort led by
Democrats in the house to both define
and condemn acts of anti-semitism is
contradictory to American values it's
important that it's it's not just
specifically referring to representative
Alon Omar because while her statements
did invoke stereotypes that we consider
to be anti
medic she's not the only member of
Congress to have done so we've seen the
same from Republicans as well and we've
seen similar remarks from the president
over the past few years so this is a
condemnation that is long overdue and we
appreciate the Democratic leadership for
bringing this up at this time Ariel did
Congress woman almost statements evoked
as Haley says these stereotypes of
anti-semitism well first of all let me
say that this began at an event in
Washington DC that I personally was at
and when representative Omar talked
about that we shouldn't have allegiances
to a foreign country let's remember that
during the government shutdown the very
first piece of legislation introduced in
the Senate by Senator Marco Rubio was
one to protect Israel from criticism now
if that isn't allegiance to a foreign
country I don't know what is ah Haley
let me ask you about that she is saying
that these expressions of support for
Israel and some of these resolution sees
referring to resolutions against and it
takes various forms of boycotts of
Israel or in fact pledging allegiance to
Israel we disagree with that but I also
disagree with Ariel's assertion that
this began with the event last week in
Washington it did not it began on
February 10th with their tweets by
representative Ilhan Omar in which she
referenced alleged Jewish influence
tying it to money she referenced
Benjamins referring to money and it yet
again invoked an anti-semitic trope last
week at this event in Washington she
invoked yet another reference to an
anti-semitic trope talking about
so-called duel loyalties while Ariel
might have used with regard to Israel as
does representative Omar that we may
disagree with include
support for the BDS movement those who
have such views have every right to
express their views even even supportive
BDS however when it crosses the line
into anti-semitism is when you're
invoking stereotypes and discriminating
that have been used to discriminate
against the Jewish people and that is
what we've identified with
representative Omar's got remarks going
back to February 10th I really just want
to rephrase that slightly to you if you
have Americans perhaps of Mexican
descent and if they support immigration
from Mexico wouldn't progressives call
it racism to start saying whether they
have a dual loyalty or allegiance to
another country why would that not also
apply to American Jews who also do
believe as Americans Israel should be
supported because Israel is the only
country in the world that America gives
3.8 billion dollars to every year Israel
is absolutely singled out by the US for
unquestioned diplomatic cover and for
endless amounts of financial support for
a endless military occupation and I want
to say that what we really have here is
a thinly veiled targeting of the first
Black Muslim member of Congress who is a
fearless champion and leader not just on
issues of Palestinian rights but also
calling out such things as the necessity
to not support a u.s. orchestrated coup
on Venezuela to end US support for the
saudi-led war on Yemen so this is a
really ugly smear attempt and we see
right through it and we stand with
representative Ilhan author I do want to
add area
eriell to respond I do want to note that
for example other countries such as
Egypt received generous US aid and the
the u.s. defense military but I do want
to have Hallie respond this is
absolutely not about representatives
Omar's background her religion her
ethnicity her anything this is about
what she stated and we've actually
publicly said that we celebrate the
diversity in the hundred and sixteenth
Congress including the fact that both
representative Omar and representative
Talib are the first Muslim women to be
elected to the House we celebrate that
diversity this is not about their
religion this is about the views that
they have expressed and the the
anti-semitic tropes that they have
invoked that is what we disagree with in
fact this past weekend what this
presentative Omar was unfairly attacked
by Republicans they falsely accused her
of somehow being tied to the 9/11
attacks our organization the Jewish
Democratic Council of America called
that out as completely inappropriate and
unacceptable
we absolutely reject and Tommy I want to
give did start off I want to give just
time for a brief response this is what
this is about is a thinly veiled attack
on a Black Muslim member of Congress and
this is an endless successful attempt to
silence Palestinian the Palestinian
struggle and that has gone on for far
too long
any time that the Palestinian struggled
the denial of equal human rights to
Palestinians is lifted up the
conversation gets shifted in order to
silence that debate and that is the
shunda okay Holly is this an attempt to
silence a debate on the Palestinians
absolutely not nor is it an attack on
representative Omar because of her
religion or her background this is a
denunciation of anti-semitism and the
remarks that she has made via Twitter
and at this recent event invoked
generalizations and negative stereotypes
that have been used to target Jews for
decades that we deem as anti-semitic
again those who have views whether it's
criticizing our own government the
Israeli government or any government may
do so this is a free country we believe
in freedom of speech however when you
cross the line from free speech into
invoking hate-filled stereotypes then
that is anti-semitism and we're going to
call it out and we're going to see
Congress call it out tomorrow okay this
is clearly a discussion that is I think
going forward we're going to be hearing
a lot about in Washington as relations
to as it relates to a representative
Almar perhaps other progressive
Democrats and of course we will be
following that and hope to have you
perhaps back on again Halle sulfur of
the Jewish Democratic Council of America
and Ariel gold of code pink
