Mike Norris, Co-Editor, The American Dossier
Nazi Germany’s Holocaust is history’s most extreme example of anti-Semitism, although anti-Semitism did not begin, or end with Adolph Hitler. Anti-Semitism is called history’s oldest hatred and it is making a very visible return.
On Wednesday, the House passed Joint Resolution 37, which directed the President to remove U.S. military forces from Yemen.
The Resolution was non-binding and passed largely on party lines. Tucked away in this legislation, however, was a quiet sign of the latest “Kristallnacht” to members of the Jewish community.
After the vote, Republicans “motioned to recommit,” which would allow the legislation to be amended. The motion to recommit is a procedural tool of the House minority, often used to record a complaint against legislation. Motions to recommit usually send a bill back to committee before a vote, essentially killing the bill. Because of this, motions to commit are regularly rejected.
However, the motion to recommit offered was not a strategic move. It reported the resolution back to the floor with additional language. Led by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY), Democrats joined their Republican colleagues and the motion to recommit was adopted, 424-0, with two members voting present.
The new language condemned anti-Semitism and “all attempts to de-legitimize and deny Israel’s right to exist.” This amendment was offered by Republicans two days after Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership pressured Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to apologize for a tweet that claimed that the United States’ support for Israel was paid for with money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC); a pro-Israel lobbying group.
According to OpenSecrets.org, AIPAC does not donate to Congressional campaigns.
In France, officials say attacks against Jews have risen by 74%; after two years of decrease. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, announced that the number of anti-Semitic acts rose to 541; Warning: “Anti-Semitism is spreading like a poison, like a venom."
Crime data also reveals an increase in the number of anti-Semitic crimes recorded in Germany. Police recorded a total of 1,646 anti-Semitic incidents, including 62 violent offenses that left 43 injured. In comparison, there were 37 physical attacks in 2017.
The United Kingdom experienced a record 1,382 anti-Semitic crimes in 2017, an increase of 34% over previous years. According to government officials, the same figures also surged by “66% in Italy last year.”
So too, have anti-Semitic events in the US been on the rise. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), anti-Semitic incidents rose 57%. This is the largest single year increase ever recorded.
In Pittsburgh, 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers shouted, "All Jews must die," as he indiscriminately shot worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue. Eleven people, aged between 54 and 97, were killed.
Most recently, accusations of anti-Semitism derailed the Women’s March. Co-President Tamika Mallory’s statement that “Jewish people played a large role in the slave trade,” lead to the withdrawal of major sponsors including the Democratic National Committee, the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign.
Despite the recent anti-Semitic events, Omar seemed puzzled at the suggestion that her comments could have offended anyone. When confronted by CNN hosts Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto, Omar responded, “I don’t know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish-Americans."
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), founder of a bipartisan task force to combat anti-Semitism, said some of the lawmakers’ comments “fall into longstanding anti-Semitic tropes.”
It wasn’t the first example of Omar’s willingness to spread anti-Semitic tropes. Just weeks ago, she had to defend a 2012 tweet in which she states, “Israel has hypnotized the world; may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” This anti-Semitic trope implies that Jews are conspiring to "take over the world.” This was the major theme of the Nazi German propaganda that contributed to the extermination of 6 million Jews.
Another Freshman has joined Omar’s anti-Semitic chorus.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a pro- “Palestinian” movement, that desires to punish Israel using boycotts, divestments and sanctions. The ADL states that the predominant goal of BDS campaign its leadership is not to criticize policies, but to demonize and de-legitimize Israel.
Omar is 1 of only 2 House members who support BDS. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is the other.
On January 7, Tlaib took a swing at legislators who supported Sen. Rubio’s (R-FL) anti-BDS legislation, writing on Twitter that legislators who supported his bill “forgot what country they represent.” The ADL immediately stated that “this type of language is deeply problematic.” The Jewish Democratic Council of America also denounced Tlaib.
While anti-Semitism seems to infect left wing and right wing alike, anti-Semitism could be finally be an issue that unites the two parties.