Rahm Emanuel denounced anti-Semitic comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., saying the freshman congresswoman is repeating the ugliest stereotypes about Jews.
Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago and President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, pointed out that he has personally faced charges of “dual loyalty,” and that in a fashion similar to the “birther” controversy, Omar is pushing unfair and inaccurate tropes about individuals.
“But it’s not just me who’s been subject to questions of dual loyalty. For centuries, this trope has been aimed at Jews in countries around the world,” he said in an Atlantic opinion piece Thursday. “In embracing it, Omar is associating herself with calamities from the Spanish Inquisition to the Russian pogroms to the Holocaust. That’s not historical company that any American should want to keep.”
Emanuel, whose father is an Israeli immigrant, wrote that during his first run for Congress he was subjected to inaccurate charges that he was actually a citizen of Israel, much like Obama who was subjected to conspiracy fueled by President Trump and others that he was not born in the U.S.
“In 2002, well before Donald Trump and other ‘birthers’ questioned Barack Obama’s citizenship, I had to produce my U.S. birth certificate in my first run for Congress to disprove false assertions about my background and loyalties,” he explained.
In the piece, the outgoing Chicago mayor praised Israel for being a progressive state in the Middle East nation, highlighting that in Israel women and the LGBT community can serve in the military, and that Arabs can form political parties, vote, and run for office. Despite that, Emmanuel noted “serious” problems facing Israeli democracy but reiterated that there remains a “deep and abiding relationship between the United States and Israel.”
He said there is a difference between criticizing Israeli policy and perpetuating anti-Semitic tropes. Emanuel writes that notwithstanding the close relationship he has with Israel, he “spoke out strongly against [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s policy of expanding Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories,” while serving as Obama’s chief of staff.
Despite being defended by some liberal politicians, Omar has been widely criticized by political figures on both sides of the political spectrum for comments and tweets she has made that have been interpreted as anti-Semitic.
Emanuel asserted that Muslims in office, like Omar, will have to “overcome allegations of dual loyalty and of taking campaign contributions from fellow Muslims with nefarious goals in mind,” much like allegations Jews in office have faced. He said that “when they face such claims, Jewish Americans like me will come to their defense — because we know the pain and potential damage of these bigoted stereotypes.”
“It’s time for Omar to learn that lesson,” he said.
