Censuring Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her recent hateful comments and history of antisemitism.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1207 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1207

Censuring Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her recent hateful 
                 comments and history of antisemitism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2024

 Mr. Bacon (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Van Orden, 
and Ms. Tenney) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                       to the Committee on Ethics

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Censuring Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her recent hateful 
                 comments and history of antisemitism.

Whereas, on April 26, 2024, while visiting Columbia University amidst growing 
        encampments protesting Israel's actions in Gaza, Representative Ilhan 
        Omar referred to Jewish students as ``pro-genocide'';
Whereas Representative Omar has a long and demonstrated history of hateful 
        rhetoric that plays into the worst antisemitic tropes;
Whereas Representative Omar's slanderous comments against Jewish students could 
        inflame violence against the Jewish community;
Whereas the American Jewish Committee's 2023 State of Antisemitism in America 
        report found that 63 percent of American Jews feel the status of Jews is 
        less secure than 1 year ago, which is an increase of more than 20 
        percent in just 1 year;
Whereas that same report indicated that 78 percent of American Jews who heard 
        about the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel say the attacks made them 
        feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States;
Whereas the American Jewish Committee report also indicated that 85 percent of 
        American Jews and 84 percent of the general public believe the statement 
        ``Israel has no right to exist'', the foundational core of anti-Zionism, 
        is antisemitic;
Whereas antisemitism has reached unprecedented levels in the United States, 
        demonstrated by the 2023 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Audit of 
        Antisemitic Incidents with a reported 8,873 antisemitic incidents across 
        the country, representing a 140-percent increase from the year before 
        and an average of 1 incident per hour;
Whereas this is the highest number of incidents on record since the Anti-
        Defamation League began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979, and ADL 
        has tracked more incidents in 2023 than in the previous 3 years 
        combined;
Whereas Representative Omar has a history of further fueling the flames of 
        antisemitic hatred by her unrelenting attacks against the State of 
        Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East;
Whereas, in 2021, Representative Omar compared Israel and the United States not 
        only to Hamas, but also to the Taliban, when she tweeted ``we have seen 
        unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, 
        Afghanistan, and the Taliban'';
Whereas the State of Israel is a key ally and a strategic partner of the United 
        States;
Whereas Hamas was designated by the Department of State as a foreign terrorist 
        organization on October 8, 1997;
Whereas Hamas is actively engaged in committing war crimes, including using 
        civilians as human shields, which is banned under customary 
        international humanitarian law;
Whereas Hamas and its Palestinian terrorist allies in Gaza are funded by Iran;
Whereas the cowardly terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, by Hamas on innocent 
        Israeli citizens, as well as citizens of the United States and other 
        countries, was the deadliest murder of the Jewish people since 1945;
Whereas Representative Omar has previously argued that Israel's military 
        response to Hamas strikes was ``an act of terrorism'' rather than an act 
        of self-defense;
Whereas Representative Omar accused the United States of backing crimes against 
        humanity;
Whereas, in 2012, Representative Omar tweeted, ``Israel has hypnotized the 
        world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of 
        Israel.'';
Whereas, in 2018, Representative Omar posted, ``Drawing attention to the 
        apartheid Israeli regime is far from hating Jews.'';
Whereas, in 2019, Representative Omar resorted to horrible stereotypes against 
        Jewish people when she previously suggested that the American Israel 
        Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Jewish people were trying to 
        buy political influence by saying ``It's all about the Benjamins, 
        baby.'';
Whereas Representative Omar stated during a town hall in 2019, ``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.'';
Whereas, in 2019, Congressional Democratic Leadership issued a joint statement 
        in response to Representative Omar, saying, ``Anti-Semitism must be 
        called out, confronted, and condemned whenever it is encountered, 
        without exception.'';
Whereas, on February 2, 2023, Representative Omar was removed from the Committee 
        on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives for her numerous 
        antisemitic and other problematic statements regarding the United States 
        democratic ally Israel; and
Whereas Representative Omar has repeatedly and frequently referred to the United 
        States close partner Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, as 
        an ``apartheid'' State and accused it of committing ``genocide'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is censured 
for her comments targeting Jewish students in the United States.
                                 <all>