NETANYA, Israel — Why are American Jewish organizations silent about Congressional anti-Semitism and anti-Israel slander?
Why is it that the ZOA is the only Jewish organization in America that initiated instant condemnation of Ilhan Omar’s latest anti-Semitic drumbeat against Israel?
The new set of Omar’s lies, tweeted after the US election, included the blood libel that Israel is ethnically cleansing the Palestinians, accusing the Jewish State of “leaving an entire community homeless in direct violation of international law.”
As a member of the US Foreign Affairs Committee, Omar is using these blatant lies in an attempt to condition a possible incoming Biden Administration into stopping US aid to the Jewish state or, in her words, that America “should not bankroll Israel’s actions.”
Ilhan Omar is, however, is very much in favor of renewing US funding to the Palestinian Authority without the PA being required to stop rewarding their murdering terrorists with American taxpayers’ money for their obscene ‘Pay to Slay’ policy as required by the Taylor Force Act, a bill initiated by President Trump to discourage acts of Palestinian terrorism.
In a French article, Omar twisted truth by avoiding mention of Palestinian Islamist terror groups including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Salafists, as well as the more secular PLO and PLFP, by characterizing them as “victims.”
Should Biden become President, and the Democrats take the Senate, and with this party still dominating the House, malevolent anti-Semites led by Omar and Rashida Tlaib will be the ones setting American foreign policy, actively promoting devious regimes such as Somalia, the Muslim Brotherhood, and anti-Israel regimes that will set the Middle East back to the bad pre-Trump era of uncertainty and violence.
Major Jewish organizations in America, be they “progressive” or not, must recalibrate their outdated thinking and rally round Israel by committing to face down any expressions or acts of anti-Semitism emanating from Congress, or from other segments of American society, including the Nation of Islam, Black Lies Matter, CAIR, or the Islamic Society of North America.
We Israelis expect American Jewry to become more vocal in confronting anti-Semites, especially and particularly if they are individuals and groups who actively supported the political party of their choice.
*
Barry Shaw serves as International Public Diplomacy Director for the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.
Oh boy. Lots to unpack here. First, let’s start with the fact Biden barely conceals his contempt for people such as Omar and Tlaib, and a look at the transition team for the still-likely incoming Biden administration shows traditional US foreign policy establishment figures dominating, which means a decidedly pro-Israel bent consistent with Biden’s entire life in politics. Second, Ilan Omar was reacting to the razing and bulldozing of Bedouin property which occurred earlier this week, and which removed a community of Bedouins from land they had lived on for a long time, initially with Israeli government approval. Omar’s words were: “This a grave crime—in direct violation of international law. If they used any US equipment it also violates US law. An entire community is now homeless and will likely experience lifelong trauma.The United States of America should not be bankrolling ethnic cleansing. Anywhere.” Yeah, one can say “ethnic cleansing” is a loaded term, but let’s read from The Times of Israel, November 5, 2020: “B’Tselem, a (Jewish-dominated) human rights group that tracks Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, accused Israel of deliberately conducting the demolitions while world attention was focused on the US elections. ‘The wiping off of a whole community at once is extremely rare,’ said Amit Gilutz, a spokesperson for B’Tselem. ‘It seems like Israel was making use of the fact that everyone’s attention is currently set elsewhere to move forward with this inhumane act.'” Mr. Shaw, however, is not interested in any genuine analysis. He has ideological and culturally divisive fish to fry and stir. It is shameful how many American Jews, and readers of this online journal, are continually misled by people such as Mr. Shaw. People are now saying we need a dialogue with the likes of people who have supported Donald Trump. Maybe. However, it is long past time to have a dialogue with Representative Omar and Representative Tlaib.