Every person on earth — all 7.5 billion of us — are the “other” to someone. That’s the way it’s always been. (Social scientists call this phenomenon “primordial xenophobia.”) That’s the way it always will be. (I call this #facts.) Something in our biological algorithm compels us to be obsessed with categorizing each other. We then devalue, fight, subjugate and even murder the “others” based upon those categories. One of the best known, and seemingly intractable, examples is that of Jews and Muslims. It is in this context that we should view the recent controversies regarding U.S. House member Ilhan Omar.
Omar, who is a Somali-American and a Muslim, has been accused of making several remarks that many people consider to be anti-Semitic. (I know that the term “anti-Semitic” is imperfect given that it is usually applied only to Jewish “Semites”; however, for the sake of simplicity, I will use the term as it is generally understood.) Omar is the first naturalized citizen from Africa — in U.S. history — to be elected to Congress. She is also one of the first two Muslim women to hold that distinction. Space constraints do not allow me to list Omar’s various remarks in their entirety, but one can find unedited versions on any credible website.
For starters, Omar has a habit of using language that conjures well-worn tropes about Jews secretly controlling the world (i.e., by using money to gain influence). Last month she tweeted, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” in a reference to U.S. politicians’ support for Israel. Omar views the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as a facilitator of this alleged arrangement. The House Democratic leadership issued a statement calling Omar’s remarks “anti-Semitic” and “deeply offensive.” (Omar is a Democrat.)
Additionally, some of Omar’s other comments have been taken to suggest that Jewish-Americans’ loyalty is divided between the U.S. and Israel. (That is another long-standing stereotype.) After having been called out regarding this view, Omar apologized. Last year, she suggested that she made her comments in ignorance rather than in malice; this year she has suggested that she’s been misunderstood. After her most recent controversial remarks, Omar again apologized, stating, “I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes.” Still, Omar maintains her view that lobbying organizations, including AIPAC, the NRA and “the fossil fuel industry,” should not have a major influence on American policy.
Following the latest incident, the Democratic House leadership introduced a resolution. Initially, the statement condemned anti-Semitism. After objections from some progressive Democrats, the language was amended to include condemnations of Islamophobia, racism, and homophobia. (Some Republicans and centrist Democrats complained that the statement became too general, while presidential contenders Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren defended Omar.)
Context – especially historical context regarding race and religion – always matters. Thus, the historical context regarding Muslims and Jews makes this situation very sensitive. Things would likely be substantially different if Omar were a white woman who criticized one of America’s European allies for trying to influence our political system. But Omar is a woman of color, and a Muslim, who is perceived as saying that Jewish people are a secret cabal that is pulling the strings in Washington (i.e., “Zionist conspiracy”). Despite the fact that many Americans agree that lobbying organizations, including AIPAC, wield too much influence in Washington, the “messenger” matters. (To be sure, some argue that AIPAC favors conservative Israel policies as opposed to merely being pro-Israel in general.)
The fact is that foreign governments, including Israel, do funnel money to our elected officials in an attempt to influence them. There’s a term for this: lobbying. In that sense, I agree with Rep. Omar that we must be careful vis-à-vis the extent to which well-heeled organizations carry more weight in Washington than “ordinary people” (to borrow from John Legend). However, it is equally important to avoid placing disproportionate emphasis on Israel than on the actions of other governments and interests, especially since it receives more foreign aid, by far, than any other nation.
I, for one, don’t shy from criticizing Israel (or any nation) if I believe that they are acting in inappropriate ways. I criticize my own government; therefore, I won’t consider any other government to be off-limits. Still, it is wrong-headed to pretend that anti-Semitism is not a real, historical fact of life that continues to impact the world today. The same is true for anti-Muslim sentiment.
Next week I will offer some potential solutions to this dilemma.
Larry Smith is a community leader. Contact him at larry@leaf-llc.com.
https://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/opinion/article_4be0a68c-465b-11e9-babd-63f68b88b3e5.html
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