By Leah Golembesky
In today’s society, words hold immense power, and it is important to understand the consequences of what we say. This is particularly true for elected officials, who hold a platform that can reach millions and shape public discourse. The actions and words of these individuals can have far-reaching impacts and therefore, they must be held to a higher standard. This is where the importance of the concept in Jewish law known as Lashon Hara, or avoiding harmful speech, comes into play.
In fact, the Talmud (Tractate Arachin 15b) equates gossip with murder, as it causes irreparable harm.
A Hasidic story highlights the damage caused by malicious gossip. In the story, a man who spread rumors about a rabbi felt remorse and asked for forgiveness. As part of his penance the rabbi asked him to take feather pillows and scatter the feathers in the wind. The man did as he was told, but when he returned to tell the rabbi he had completed the task, the rabbi said, “Now go and gather all the feathers and stuff them back into the pillows.” The man replied that it was impossible, to which the rabbi said, “It is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it will be to recover the feathers.” This underscores the point that the harm caused by harmful gossip is irreparable.
This story applies directly to the situation with U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who was recently stripped of her committee assignments, and her history of making antisemitic comments. Despite apologies, the words have already been spoken and the impact cannot be undone. Furthermore, when a sitting congresswoman with a platform and influence makes harmful remarks, the consequences are far more damaging than those of a private citizen with a small following. The fact that Omar has a history of making antisemitic comments and then apologizing for them raises concerns about her ability to truly change her views and understand the impact of her words. In this case, it normalizes the acceptance of antisemitism, which has been dramatically rising in our country in recent years.
There has been widespread comparison between U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Omar, and it has been stated by members of the media that Greene said that “Jewish” space lasers caused wildfires in California. Well, this is not exactly what she said.
In 2018, long before being elected to Congress, as it was reported in a Newsweek article published on May 2, 2022, Greene wrote on her personal Facebook page, “Oddly there have been all these people who have said they saw what looked like lasers or blue beams of light causing the fires, and pictures and videos.”
Writing that she didn’t “know anything about that,” she still found it “really curious” that PG&E had a partnership with Solaren on space generators. She further suggested that if Solaren accidently caused the fires when transmitting the sun’s energy back to Earth, it “wouldn’t look so good for PG&E, Rothschild Inc., Solaren or (then-California Governor) Jerry Brown.”
A reporter asks Greene if she could be inadvertently contributing to antisemitism. “Not at all. Listen, I’m a Christian. I support Israel. I am one of the most pro-Israel voters in Congress. So why don’t you judge me by those things instead of twisting and turning what you think I was writing in some 2018 Facebook posts?”
It is important to note that the Rothschilds have long been a target of conspiracy theories about Jewish control of the world, and I am in no way endorsing this statement or Greene. The fact that the mainstream media has misrepresented what Greene actually said by falsely alleging that she suggested “Jewish” space lasers started the wildfires in California is, however, an indication of biased reporting. I also find it a thinly veiled attempt to use misdirection, as the same reporters really do not have any solid argument as to why Omar should not be stripped of her committee assignments.
Greene’s statement, response, and congressional voting history is a far cry from that of Omar, who is not a supporter of Israel in any way, shape, or form, and has repeatedly voted against any pro-Israel legislation during her tenure in Congress. Her blatantly antisemitic statements were disseminated to her millions of followers on Twitter and then re-promoted throughout the mainstream media.
In 2012, Omar tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
In 2018, she posted, “Drawing attention to the apartheid Israeli regime is far from hating Jews.”
In 2019, she stated, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” juxtaposing references to a $100 bill and AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group.
These remarks by Omar were so offensive that Democratic leaders, including then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, issued a joint statement admonishing Omar’s comments: “Congresswoman Omar’s use of antisemitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive, We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.”
Not long after being forced to apologize, Omar went on to state during a town hall meeting, “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for the allegiance to a foreign country.”
A comment to which Ilhan Omar saw no repercussions.
It is crucial to recognize the power and influence that elected officials hold, especially compared to private citizens. Elected members of Congress should be held to a higher standard, as their words carry weight and have the potential to spread far and wide. This is further emphasized by the story of the man and the feather pillow, which highlights how once damaging words are spoken, they cannot be taken back with an apology.
Leah Golembesky is a pro-Israel advocate, citizen diplomat for San Diego International Sister City & World Affairs Council of America, StandWithUs San Diego chapter active member, and parent volunteer.
Very interesting column, Leah. Welcome to the group of writers for San Diego Jewish World!