In 2019, after Rep. Ilhan Omar was criticized for her many antisemitic remarks, her House colleagues attempted to pass a resolution condemning antisemitism. I say “attempted” because, thanks to her friends in high places, the resolution was watered down. They made it a blanket condemnation of bigotry, including the kinds that are less fashionable than antisemitism in ultra-leftist circles. Ultimately, the resolution condemned “white supremacists” exploiting bigotry against over a dozen minorities. Jews were listed seventh, sandwiched in between “other people of color” and Muslims.
So it should come as little surprise that amid a significant spate of hate crimes against Jews, Omar and the rest of her “Squad” have taken a similar approach.
Jews have long made up a disproportionate share of hate-crime victims. Despite comprising just 2% of the population, they account for 60% of the victims of all religiously motivated hate crimes. In 2018, Jews were more than twice as likely as Muslims or black Americans to be the victims of hate crimes.
Given the recent Hamas attacks on Israel, the crisis has worsened in the past few weeks. In Los Angeles, antisemites brandishing Palestinian flags attacked Jewish diners at a sushi joint while screaming “death to Jews” and “free Palestine.” Over in Brooklyn, an antisemitic mob attacked two separate groups of Orthodox Jews, one of whom was outside of a synagogue. The Anti-Defamation League received 193 reports of antisemitic incidents, as opposed to 131 the week prior.
Predictably, the House’s left-wing Squad took the “All Lives Matter” approach to this crisis, the same way they did with the House resolution about Omar’s bigotry.
“We’ve recently seen disturbing antisemitic attacks and a troubling rise in Islamophobia,” tweeted Bernie Sanders, the de facto godfather of the socialist squad. Note how he manages to slide in Islamophobia, which isn’t the current issue.
“The work of dismantling antisemitism, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and every other form of hate is OUR work,” tweeted freshman Rep. Cori Bush. “We will ONLY achieve collective liberation by leading with radical love.” Again, note the redirection.
“I strongly condemn the rise in anti-Semitism and islamophobia we’re seeing across the country [sic],” tweeted Ayanna Pressley. “Let me say it again: our freedom and our destinies are tied.”
Evidently, the increasingly quiet pro-Israel wing of the Democratic Party has sounded the alarm to leadership. This is why both President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were suddenly offering unequivocal condemnations solely of antisemitic attacks on Twitter Monday morning. At least someone realizes how bad it looks that Pressley, Bush, Sanders, and their ilk cannot be bothered to condemn antisemitism, full stop.
Despite the messy origins and toxic leadership of the Black Lives Matter movement, it reminded conservatives of a valuable lesson: Just as you wouldn’t demand a moment of silence at someone’s funeral to honor all of the other people who died, the time to note that “All lives matter!” is not during a discussion of how to make sure George Floyd is the last black man to be murdered by a cop in the manner he was.
When addressing an attack on a mosque, it would not be a good time to delve into antisemitism.
Likewise, a shocking series of assaults on Jews does not represent an occasion to draw equivalences to Islamophobia.
This much is obvious, and surely the Squad knows it. Evidently, however, they just don’t care, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand why.
