Furious row erupts over anti-Semitism in US Democratic Party

A furious row over anti-Semitism erupted in the US Democratic Party as its leadership attempted to pass a resolution in the lower chamber of Congress to condemn language used by a Muslim congresswoman.

US House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told fellow Democrats at a closed-door meeting on Wednesday that "a resolution opposing hate will be voted" on Thursday.

Senior Democrats wanted a statement to be adopted by the House condemning "the dangerous consequences of perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes."

The resolution was viewed as a direct rebuke of Ilhan Omar, a newly elected Democrat Congresswoman from Minnesota who sparked a firestorm on Capitol Hill over repeated criticisms of Israel and the powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington that exerts great influence in US politics.

However there was a heated backlash from fellow Democrats who said Omar was being unfairly singled out by the leadership.

The dispute resembles the row over anti-Semitism raging in the British Labour Party, which has seen members of Parliament split on the issue under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Omar, who has already been once rebuked by Democratic leadership over her comments on Israel in the two months she has been in office, triggered this new row with a tweet: "I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee".

Some Democrats have expressed anger that Omar could be facing an implicit rebuke, while racist statements by US President Donald Trump and other Republicans go largely unchallenged.

PressTV-‘Zionist lobby owns entire mainstream media in US’

The Zionist lobby in the US owns virtually the entire mainstream media and gives about half of the election funding which is used to purchase absolute and undivided loyalty to Israel, an American scholar says.  

During a party meeting on Wednesday, a number of Democrats, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, reportedly challenged the decision to pass a resolution that condemns anti-Semitism and pushed to include resolution language that decries anti-Muslim bias.

The members argued that the move will single out Omar for a rebuke over her comments, while comments from Republicans go unchallenged by the chamber.

"We need to have equity in our outrage... [including] the occupant of this White House who is seeding every form of hate, emboldening it with racist rhetoric and policies," congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, an ally of Omar, told the Washington Post after the meeting. "That is who we all need to be focused on, and this is a distraction."

Republicans have seized on the controversy, hoping to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party and calling for Omar to be removed from the Foreign Relations Committee.

Democrats in Congress remain largely supportive of Israel, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who often attends the annual conference in Washington held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobby in the US.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk