According to reporting by the Washington Post, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told fellow Democrats in a closed-door meeting that a controversial vote that had been decried as an ill-conceived attempt to rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for criticizing the Israeli lobby will take place on Thursday.
Hoyer’s reported plan comes on the heels of reports late Wednesday that House Democratic leaders decided to indefinitely postpone a vote on the resolution in the face of widespread backlash. As of this writing, the text of the resolution has not been made public.
According to the Post:
“Democratic leadership made the right choice yesterday. After listening to the voices of Jews, Muslims, and our allies, they decided to delay voting on this resolution indefinitely. It is disappointing to see them taking the cowardly move of reviving the bill behind closed doors,” the youth-led Jewish advocacy group IfNotNow tweeted in response to the planned vote.
Progressive Jewish Groups Thank Diverse Coalition That Mobilized to Thwart Democrats’ Misguided Rebuke of Omar
Progressive Jewish advocacy groups leading the grassroots mobilization in defense of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) celebrated late Wednesday after House Democratic leaders were forced to delay a resolution rebuking the congresswoman over her criticism of the Israeli lobby and government.
“We must not equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel.”
—Sen. Bernie Sanders
“This is a victory. Grassroots pressure from Jews, Muslims, and our allies challenged the double standard applied to Ilhan Omar, forced Dem leadership to delay the vote,” declared IfNotNow, a youth-led Jewish organization. “Now they must withdraw it and replace it with a resolution condemning white nationalism.”
And Jewish Voice for Peace, which launched the #IStandWithIlhan hashtag with the help of a diverse coalition of allies, tweeted:
The House Democratic leadership’s decision to indefinitely postpone a vote on the resolution came as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—all major 2020 presidential contenders—issued statements defending Omar from attacks by the right and her own party.
“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,” said Sanders. “Rather, we must develop an even-handed Middle East policy which brings Israelis and Palestinians together for a lasting peace.”
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