Jewish Democrats brushed off Rep. Ilhan Omar’s pro-boycott resolution this week, instead keeping their focus on their own resolution to denounce the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Earlier this week, Ms. Omar, a vocal critic of the Israeli government and BDS advocate, introduced a resolution that would affirm “Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad.” It only has six co-sponsors so far, including fellow progressive and BDS supporter Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. The resolution itself makes no explicit mention of the BDS movement, but she invoked it in an interview with Al-Monitor as she introduced her resolution. “We are introducing a resolution … to really speak about the American values that support and believe in our ability to exercise our first amendment rights in regard to boycotting,” she told the outlet. “And it is an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support a nonviolent movement, which is the BDS movement.” Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat and one of the more senior Jewish lawmakers in the chamber, told The Washington Times the resolution was “dead on arrival.” One Democratic lawmakers told The Times she “wasn’t pleased” with Ms. Omar’s resolution, and didn’t think it would gain much traction in the House. Mr. Sherman didn’t say he was offended by the resolution, noting that if he was hurt by every insult at Israel “I would spend my whole life offended.” Rep. Eilot Engel, another senior Jewish lawmaker and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he didn’t want to comment specifically on Ms. Omar’s resolution, but denounced the BDS movement as a “horror” and a “cancer.” “I think the BDS movement is harmful and anyone that promotes it is making a big mistake,” he said. House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, strongly condemned the BDS movement at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference back in March, as controversy swirled around Ms. Omar for comments she made that many saw as anti-semitic. In the meantime, Jewish lawmakers are laser focused on a resolution that would explicitly denounce the BDS movement and call for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian resolution. “The BDS Movement promotes principles of collective guilt, mass punishment, and group isolation, which are destructive of prospects for progress towards peace and a two-state solution,” it reads. Several lawmakers told The Times they expect a vote on the resolution next week. “There is overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for strengthening our relationship with our vital ally Israel, the leading democracy in the Middle East,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said in a statement. However, some progressive lawmakers said the resolution could infringe on first amendment rights, with Ms. Tlaib even c
Rep. Omar’s pro-BDS resolution brushed off by Jewish Democratic colleagues
Jewish Democrats brushed off Rep. Ilhan Omar’s pro-boycott resolution this week, instead keeping their focus on their own resolution to denounce the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Earlier this week, Ms. Omar, a vocal critic of the Israeli government and BDS advocate, introduced a resolution that would affirm “Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad.” It only has six co-sponsors so far, including fellow progressive and BDS supporter Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. The resolution itself makes no explicit mention of the BDS movement, but she invoked it in an interview with Al-Monitor as she introduced her resolution. “We are introducing a resolution … to really speak about the American values that support and believe in our ability to exercise our first amendment rights in regard to boycotting,” she told the outlet. “And it is an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support a nonviolent movement, which is the BDS movement.” Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat and one of the more senior Jewish lawmakers in the chamber, told The Washington Times the resolution was “dead on arrival.” One Democratic lawmakers told The Times she “wasn’t pleased” with Ms. Omar’s resolution, and didn’t think it would gain much traction in the House. Mr. Sherman didn’t say he was offended by the resolution, noting that if he was hurt by every insult at Israel “I would spend my whole life offended.” Rep. Eilot Engel, another senior Jewish lawmaker and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he didn’t want to comment specifically on Ms. Omar’s resolution, but denounced the BDS movement as a “horror” and a “cancer.” “I think the BDS movement is harmful and anyone that promotes it is making a big mistake,” he said. House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, strongly condemned the BDS movement at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference back in March, as controversy swirled around Ms. Omar for comments she made that many saw as anti-semitic. In the meantime, Jewish lawmakers are laser focused on a resolution that would explicitly denounce the BDS movement and call for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian resolution. “The BDS Movement promotes principles of collective guilt, mass punishment, and group isolation, which are destructive of prospects for progress towards peace and a two-state solution,” it reads. Several lawmakers told The Times they expect a vote on the resolution next week. “There is overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for strengthening our relationship with our vital ally Israel, the leading democracy in the Middle East,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey said in a statement. However, some progressive lawmakers said the resolution could infringe on first amendment rights, with Ms. Tlaib even c
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