The progressive Democrat may face sanctions, the US congressman said at the annual gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition. in LAS VEGAS Rep. Ilhan Omar’s membership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee will be terminated due to her prior criticisms of Israel, according to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who is widely expected to become the next speaker of the House.
The California congressman told the audience at the annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition that he would view the action as a retaliatory one based on her criticism of him personally as well. He remarked that the crowd was entitled to their jeers when her name was even mentioned. “I recall her comments about me. She mentioned Israel, and I recall that. I remember what she said about the relationship, he said, and because I was so reminded of it last year, I promised you she wouldn’t be involved in international affairs any longer. I’ll honour my commitment to you. In a tweet from February 2019, Omar claimed that congressional support for Israel in the US was “all about the Benjamins.” She immediately apologised for the comments and admitted that she was learning about “the painful history of antisemitic tropes” after strong condemnations from both sides of the political spectrum.
McCarthy was previously charged with trafficking in antisemitic stereotypes after pleading with Republicans to prevent Jewish billionaires George Soros, Tom Steyer, and Michael Bloomberg from “buying” the 2018 election. Rep. Tom Emmer, the newly elected third-ranking House Republican, and other Republican officials have been widely criticised for using an antisemitic trope in their remarks, which he has never publicly apologised for.
McCarthy likely refers to the Minnesota congresswoman’s personal attacks when he says that she called him “a liar and a coward” after he chose not to censure Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert for repeatedly making anti-Muslim remarks that implied Omar was a terrorist. McCarthy will probably succeed Pelosi as speaker after the House’s vote on January 3. Though he didn’t bring it up during his speech to the RJC, he has also stated that he wants Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell kicked off their respective committees.
