Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., defended Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Wednesday after her comments about Israel sparked debate in the House.
The Vermont Democrat, who is Jewish, said that he feared what “is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate.”
House Democrats pushed off a vote on a resolution Wednesday condemning anti-Semitism. The resolution was seen as a veiled rebuke of comments and tweets Omar made regarding Israel.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday that instead of going through with the original four-page measure, the House Foreign Affairs Committee would draft a new resolution condemning prejudice against a number of groups.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Sanders condemned members of the House for going after Omar’s statements, writing: “Anti-Semitism is a hateful and dangerous ideology which must be vigorously opposed in the United States and around the world. We must not, however, equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel.
“Rather, we must develop an even-handed Middle East policy which brings Israelis and Palestinians together for a lasting peace. What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate. That’s wrong.”
Pelosi told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that she is not sure when the new resolution would be introduced in committee.
