Muslim congresswoman, Israel critic Ilhan Omar, removed from House committee
The Minnesota congresswoman has received criticism from Republicans and pro-Israel groups over the years for her statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but many Democrats and pro-Palestine organizations support her.
Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
House Resolution 76 narrowly passed with 218 yay votes to 211 nays. The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Congressman Max Miller, R-Ohio. The vote was split down party lines, with Republicans voting for the resolution and Democrats voting against it.
Why it matters: Omar was elected to Congress in 2018. Her tenure on the influential committee began in 2019 and was marked by controversy throughout due to her statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2019, she tweeted “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby” in reference to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Jewish groups accused Omar of invoking anti-semitic tropes on Jewish money and domination in the tweet. Omar subsequently apologized. On Tuesday, she said she had not been aware of the stereotype at the time.
