Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green and Democrat Ilhan Omar have come into criticism for remarks both parties have considered inappropriate.
What We Know:
- Greene appeared on a conservative podcast three weeks ago and compared House of Representative safety requirements to “a time and history where people were told to wear a gold star.” She went on to say that these same individuals were taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany, “This is exactly the type of abuse that Nancy Pelosi is talking about.”
- On Monday, Greene issued an apology after visiting the Holocaust Museum in D.C., “I am truly sorry for offending people with remarks about the Holocaust. There is no comparison, and there never will be.” So far in her career, Greene has embraced violent and offensive conspiracy theories and engaged in angry confrontations with her progressive counterparts.
- Representative Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois, will unveil a resolution to censure Greene for these remarks. Greene has already been stripped of her two committee assignments. While Republicans had previously been reluctant to condemn her, many criticized the comparisons she made.
- Representative Ilhan Omar has also been criticized for public statements. In a video posted to Twitter, Omar questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken about U.S. opposition to an International Criminal Court investigation. The investigation alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and Israel. Omar tweeted, “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.”
- Fellow Democrats were quick to critique Omar’s comments, saying they equated the U.S. and Israel to terrorist organizations. Omar clarified that discussing the open ICC case was not a direct comparison between the two. While Democrats were satisfied with this answer, Republican Representative Jim Banks of Indiana is now leading a censure resolution against Omar and three other Democrats for “defending terrorist organizations.”
- Republicans backing Banks’ resolution blame Omar, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Representative Ayanna Presley, and Representative Rashida Tlaib for recent antisemitic attacks. All four women have criticized the Israeli government and U.S. support.
- Criticism of Israel, for many, blurs the line between antisemitism and anti-zionism. Antisemitism is defined as hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jewish people. Anti-Zionism is opposition towards Zionism, which was a movement for the reestablishment and protection of a Jewish nation in Israel implicating Judaism as both nationality and religion.
- As tensions between Israel and Palestine continue to rise, many government officials struggle with the differentiation between the two. In a 2019 Guardian piece, Peter Beinart stated that anti-zionism is not inherently antisemitic “and claiming it uses Jewish suffering to erase the Palestinian experience.”
Comments by Greene and Omar bring the definition of antisemitism into question. The response from both parties continues to emphasize the growing tensions as the slim Democrat majority continues to push towards new legislation under the Biden administration.
