Progressive leaders can't use anti-Semitic rhetoric, period. That's what the result of this must be

Yes, I said “progressive leaders” right up front. Of course no respectable politician should ever use anti-Semitic rhetoric, or any rhetoric that promotes hate of any kind. But the matter before us this week is a test of whether the progressive movement will tolerate such rhetoric from one of our own. Rep. Ilhan Omar is someone with whom we agree on the overwhelming majority of issues—even, to a good degree, on the issue she was discussing when she used an anti-Semitic trope. That issue is Israel and the American Israel Political Action Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Omar evoked the specter of Jewish Americans being more loyal to Israel than the United States, a long-standing anti-Semitic slur. This is a discussion within the progressive family about what we allow in our own house.

On Thursday, after a lot of back and forth and a significant rewrite of an initial resolution that apparently focused solely on anti-Semitism (although even that one did not mention Rep. Omar by name), the House overwhelmingly passed a strong resolution that condemned hate in all its forms, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, with the former featured prominently throughout. Every Democrat voted in favor, while 23 Republicans voted no (open white supremacist Steve King, himself condemned by name for spewing hate in a previous House resolution, voted “present”). The nine-page document has a long preamble, but here is the core statement of the resolution (note that it specifically rejects the slur Rep. Omar used, and does so in the first clause) :

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) rejects the perpetuation of anti-Semitic stereotypes in the United States and around the world, including the pernicious myth of dual loyalty and foreign allegiance, especially in the context of support for the United States-Israel alliance;

(2) condemns anti-Semitic acts and statements as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States;

(3) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as part of the broader policy priority of fostering international religious freedom and protecting human rights all over the world;

(4) rejects attempts to justify hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or elsewhere;

(5) acknowledges the harm suffered by Muslims and others from the harassment, discrimination, and violence that result from anti-Muslim bigotry;

(6) condemns anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against all minorities as contrary to the values of the United States;

(7) condemns the death threats received by Jewish and Muslim Members of Congress, including in recent weeks;

(8) encourages law enforcement and government officials to avoid conduct that raises the specter of unconstitutional profiling against anyone because of their race, religion, nationality, political, or particular social group, including the assignment of blame or targeting members of an entire religious group for increased suspicion, based on the conduct of a single individual or small group of individuals;

(9) encourages all public officials to confront the reality of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as historical struggles against them, to ensure that the United States will live up to the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the first and 14th amendments to the Constitution.

Rep. Omar, in addition to voting in favor of the resolution, stated that she was “tremendously proud” of the House’s action, and called it “great progress.” Most, albeit not all, Democrats in Congress appear reasonably satisfied with the outcome. Although the process was difficult and caused quite a bit of pain for many, I think Democrats got to the right place in the end. Once again, Nancy Pelosi showed terrific leadership skills in getting her caucus to come together around a complex issue. That doesn’t change the fact that this week was a rough one.

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2HdllUA