https://mobile.twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1094747501578633216

I can't source the tweet that started it all. Can it really be this one from 2012?

"Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel"

Poll question: "It's all about the Benjamin's baby"

Poll result (28 votes) Anti semetic (4 votes) Vote Not anti senetic (22 votes) Vote Classic (2 votes) Vote

Kevin McCarthy put a target on her (and Rashida Tlaib's) back on day one. He's already said he wanted to put pressure on Democrats to tone down these two wild anti-Semites (aka Muslim women,) so they can't give them ANYTHING. And unfortunately, she did. It's completely unfair coming from the party of Steve King and a billion anti-Semitic George Soros conspiracy theories, but it's reality. Even the implication that it's "Jewish money" keeping us attached to Israel is giving them what they want.

It's also not entirely accurate, as AIPAC could go away tomorrow and between Evangelical/Christian Zionist politicians and the military industrial complex, nothing would change regarding America's relationship with Israel (though of course AIPAC helps grease the wheels.)

I thought her apology, which she shouldn't have had to make, was basically perfect and if you're still trying to smear her as anti-Semitic after reading it, you're doing so in bad faith.

And AIPAC's influence is significant. Very.

you said it much better than i did

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Especially in Congress.

controversial.
racially tinged.
racially charged.
racially provocative.

but as soon as you even criticize the isaeli govt/lobby...its automatically anti-semitic. no questions. no tip toeing.

aipac has basically become a branch of the republican party and the far right authoritarian israeli govt.

yet 80% of jewish people voted for democrats in the midterms. 80% of jewish people thought trump moving the embassy to jerusalem was a bad move, etc.

clearly the vast majority of jewish americans dont align with the aipac agenda. we (and the media) need to stop treating them like the same entity.

theyre pushing laws at the state and federal level to criminalize boycotting the israeli govt in america. its not even illegal to boycott the american govt in america lol.

no lobbying army for a foreign govt should have that much power over our own country.

Israel from the Jewish faith is whole other issue/story, too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/podcasts/the-daily/israel-democrats-ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib.html

The summary on the page mostly talks about Omar/Tlaib, but the episode itself gets a little into how things were already getting murky as Obama started more plainly calling for inclusivity in policy discussions for Palestinians, and how his remarks set in motion the generational shift we're seeing in the Democratic party that led Israeli leadership and their stateside lobbyists to seek out allies in Republican leadership.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

I've got

1. Kim
2. Puff (we all hate now, but he did it on this song)
3. Sheek
4. BIG
5. Jada

I wonder if Lyor made the call on that one, or Iovine

>

after her because she’s Muslim.

But I’m glad she apologized because perception can be reality sometimes and even if she wasn’t trying to play on tropes she should still realize it had the potential to offend and apologizing was the right thing to do.

Shit, that means even me for writing the above comment.

Fuck off to Trump. Fuck off to Kevin McCarthy. Fuck off to Howard Dean for his mumbling, irrelevant nonsense. Honestly, fuck off to Nancy Pelosi for giving this bad faith nonsense faith to breath by saying anything at all beyond "fuck off."

Fuck off to anybody who thinks she did anything besides summarize AIPAC's own mission statement:

"The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel."

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sorry-democrats-your-nra-is-spelled-aipac_us_59d62c62e4b0666ad0c3cb12?fbclid=IwAR0GP_iqBDqe2V99eTWrn2hoAZGoLsMWkGfcJ4FgngOP3YVxn-OKH3oDgIs

Congressional Democrats really hate the National Rifle Association and its success in shutting down debate on gun policy through intimidation — from cutting off campaign contributions, to funding opponents, to launching primaries, to simply making legislators’ lives miserable through harassment.

Leading gun control Democrats, like Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), rightly understand that, in his words, “we must break the grip of the NRA” if we are ever going to see Congressional action on guns.

Meanwhile Blumenthal, and most of his Democratic colleagues in both Houses, are in the grip of a foreign policy lobby as powerful as the NRA, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC. (Republicans, who come to their militant support for Israeli policies instinctively, don’t warrant AIPAC arm-twisting but Democrats, invariably dovish on all foreign policy issues except Israel, certainly do.)

AIPAC uses the same tactics as the NRA to ensure that the United States never deviates from support for whatever policy the Israeli government is pushing at the moment. These days those policies are: undermining President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, suppressing efforts by Americans to use selective boycotts to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza, and, as always, to prevent any pressure on Israel to advance peace with the Palestinians despite the fact that the United States provides more aid to Israel than to any other country.

Having worked in the House and Senate for 20 years, I saw all of AIPAC’s tactics first hand. I also worked at AIPAC itself where, in the very office in which I sat, I watched my colleagues working hard and effectively to end the careers of politicians who deviated from the AIPAC line. (In the interests of honesty I should admit that I had no problems with AIPAC when I worked there. It was only years later, while working on Capitol Hill, that I came to understand that the policy of undeviating support for the Israeli government was not in American interests and that AIPAC sustained that support through rather scary intimidation).

But that is a whole story on its own. I want to focus on how some of the same Democrats who, rightly, are outraged that their Republican colleagues appear to be owned by the NRA act precisely the same way when it comes to the lobby that keeps them on a leash, AIPAC.

As I wrote here in HuffPost in July:

The latest evidence of that slavishness {to AIPAC] comes in the form of growing support among Democrats in both Houses for legislation sponsored by Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and co-sponsored by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that would make it a felony for Americans to support the international boycott against Israel, commonly known as BDS. Anyone guilty of violating the prohibitions will face a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison.

According to the ACLU, the Cardin legislation would “bar U.S. persons from supporting boycotts against Israel, including its settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories (emphasis mine) conducted by international governmental organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union. It would also... include penalties for simply requesting information about such boycotts. Violations would be subject to a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison....This bill would impose civil and criminal punishment on individuals solely because of their political beliefs about Israel and its policies.”

That is pretty amazing. The Cardin bill would essentially blow a giant hole in the First Amendment. Americans would continue to be allowed to hold any belief they want, about pretty much anything, with the exception of Israel. Although I, myself, do not support the boycott Israel movement (BDS), I also know that it was the Montgomery Bus Boycott that launched the civil rights movement. It was international boycotts of South Africa that brought down apartheid. Americans even used boycotts to kill North Carolina’s hateful “bathroom” law designed to punish transgender people. (Apparently, Cardin would permit Americans to boycott a U.S, state, just not the State of Israel.)

The Cardin bill is frightening and, if applied in any other context but the Israeli one, would be inconceivable. But all rules are suspended when it comes to the country about which former Vice President Joe Biden said “there must be no daylight, no daylight” between its policies and those of the United States. Yes, he actually said “no daylight” twice and, no, it is inconceivable that any American leader would say that about any other country, including Canada!

So, naturally, some Democrats — including Senators Schumer (NY), Cantwell (WA), Bennett (CO), Hassan (NH), and Wyden (OR)—and House members including Hoyer (MD), Kennedy (MA), Lieu (CA), Lowey (NY), Schiff (CA), Sinema (AZ)) — are supporting this unconstitutional legislation because AIPAC tells them to. (The full list of House and Senate co-sponsors appear here and here). Worst of all, in both houses, it is Democratic support that will enable the legislation to pass and become law.

But it’s not all bad news. First, the number of Democratic co-sponsors for this AIPAC initiative is much lower than for past efforts when it has usually approached 100 percent. That is because the ever growing progressive base of the Democratic party (Sanders and Clinton supporters both) is finally challenging legislators who are progressive on everything but the Middle East.

In the case of the Cardin bill, one Democratic senator, Kristin Gillibrand (NY), took the unusual step of formally removing her name as co-sponsor after meeting with constituents including ACLU lawyers. And Sen. Cardin’s fellow Maryland senator, Chris Van Hollen, in his first year in the Senate, took the unusual step of breaking with his senior colleague over the bill despite heavy AIPAC lobbying and because his progressive constituents did not allow AIPAC to monopolize the debate as it usually does. Maryland opponents of the Cardin bill have been showing up wherever Maryland legislators appear for months now, including at Cardin events.

In short, while the NRA’s chokehold on Republicans seems tighter than ever, AIPAC’s grip on Democrats is loosening as younger and more progressive activists flex their political muscles. This is all good. And bodes well for the future.

The job. however, is to make all Democrats understand that while we support their positions on other issues, Middle East policy is the real litmus test.

After all, most Democrats are not subject to unrelenting pressure from lobbies and donors who oppose their positions on equal rights, guns, climate change, choice, etc. And even if they did, they almost always come from states or districts where the progressive position dominates.

That is why, for them, the test case is the Middle East: supporting peace, sovereignty, and security for Israelis and Palestinians both, as well as supporting the Iranian nuclear deal which is opposed by Israel and its lobby but viewed as indispensable by every other nation on the planet.

Otherwise, they can just shut up about Republicans being owned by the NRA. Bought is bought.

https://theintercept.com/2019/02/12/there-is-a-taboo-against-criticizing-aipac-and-ilhan-omar-just-destroyed-it/

and that’s considered anti Semite.

It’s wild how they use money to pressure Congress to do their bidding yet pointing out the money is anti Semitic because Jews and money is a no no.

Whew. That’s some gangster shit right there.

I hope this incident sparks discussion about how ANY criticism of Israel or its policies means you're immediately labeled antisemitic. It strips Israel of any accountability vis-a-vis American voters and taxpayers, and it prevents any meaningful dialogue about the plight of the Palestinians. It's knee-jerk, simplistic, cowardly, and intellectually dishonest.

I have to be especially careful because some of my wife's extended family live in Israel. It's not safe for me to say anything on the subject, basically.

is pretty wild given all the money and arms the US has given Israel over the years.

you're either for them unequivocally or you're a "disgusting union buster"

d

to call it anti-Semitic is a stretch. she basically said lobbyists... lobby (with lots of money).

this?

>"Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people
>and help them see the evil doings of Israel"

I can see how someone would think so because of the tropes it brings up. Even if what Israel is doing (apartheid state) IS evil, to say such in a very un-specific way, and the whole "hypnotized the world" thing will get the dum-dums itching to call people anti-Semites hopping out of their seat.

https://cdn.nashvillescene.com/files/base/scomm/nvs/image/2016/10/16x9/640w/flipside.580b9c0d1b1b9.jpg
https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/htvVb8arENWhiSmM4jKpep68zUA=/480x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZZIEADQ3MNGEZNPCI532Z4JZXA.jpg
https://cdn.nashvillescene.com/files/base/scomm/nvs/image/2016/10/16x9/640w/flipside.580b9c0d1b1b9.jpg

or the root of the whole line of george soros attack ads used against dem candidates.

the entire 2018 midterms for repubs was a campaign of bigotry, xenophobia, and anti-semitism. but somehow the media still treats the party like steve king is an outlier.

>the entire 2018 midterms for repubs was a campaign of bigotry,
>xenophobia, and anti-semitism. but somehow the media still
>treats the party like steve king is an outlier.

they went up QUICK to slap Rep. Omar on the wrist

But moonwalked off the censure of Steve King.

and then you got the main Omar-stalker, Kevin McCarthy, as you said, going to that "Bloomberg, Soros, and Steyer" well every time the opposition party does something he doesn't like

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/12/freshmen-democrats-ocasio-cortez-omar-tlaib-1163917

Superstar freshman Dems replace Pelosi as GOP targets
The strategy risks backlash for a party struggling to attract support from women and people of color.

By JOHN BRESNAHAN, LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ and HEATHER CAYGLE 02/12/2019 05:01 AM EST

The Republican Party has a new trio of Democratic villains: Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The House GOP midterm strategy largely centered on trying to tie every Democrat to now-Speaker Nancy Pelosi — and it failed spectacularly. So now GOP leaders and the National Republican Congressional Committee are turning to the superstars of the House Democrats’ freshman class as their newest targets.

It’s a move born, in part, out of desperation. House Democrats already have their ultimate nemesis in President Donald Trump, who's proven to be one of the best political and fundraising foils in U.S. history. House Republicans, who now find themselves in the minority after eight years in power, badly need something else to rally around. Thus the focus on the three high-profile Democratic lawmakers, who have gotten more national media attention in the past three months than many members get in their whole careers.

The NRCC has sent out thousands of emails trying to tie vulnerable Democrats to Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Omar. And the committee's website makes it appear as if these backbench members are running the House. While the NRCC still regularly bashes Pelosi, GOP lawmakers and aides privately acknowledge that the freshman trio are their main focus now.

The GOP strategy risks a backlash — a party that has problems with women and minorities continues to focus its attacks on women of color — even as the freshmen say they're not surprised by it.

Tlaib told POLITICO she’s become a lightning rod for conservatives because her profile isn't one that has historically been seen in the halls of Congress.

“The fact that somebody like myself, who’s a woman of color, is now an equal to many of them — people are very fearful of that," said the Michigan Democrat.

But the progressive firebrands are causing headaches for Pelosi and other Democratic leaders with a series of controversial remarks and actions that Republicans hope will help them rebound from the November disaster.

On Monday, Omar apologized after Pelosi and a dozen Democrats slammed her for anti-Semitic remarks she tweeted the previous evening. Omar — the first Somali-American elected to Congress — suggested GOP support for Israel is driven by campaign donations from a prominent pro-Israel group, a remark that played into ugly stereotypes about Jewish donors.

"My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole," the Minnesota Democrat said in a statement. "We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize."

The firestorm, coming after Omar recently apologized for a 2012 tweet criticizing Israel, gave Republicans what they consider another piece of useful ammo as they try to paint the broader House Democratic Caucus as too radical for everyday Americans.

NRCC officials spent the day blasting out emails attacking Omar, saying Pelosi and Democratic leaders had “put an anti-Semite” on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Ilhan Omar is the anti-Semite we thought she was,” read another post on the NRCC website.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — who himself deleted a Twitter post last fall that Democrats said was anti-Semitic for targeting billionaire George Soros — suggested Republicans weren't ready to let the issue go since Democrats didn't punish Omar.

"In the face of that abdication of leadership, Republicans will take action this week to ensure the House speaks out against this hatred and stands with Israel and the Jewish people," McCarthy said in a statement.

The Omar controversy came as Democrats are locked in a bitter battle with Trump over his push for a border wall, with members eager to train their fire on the president. Instead, House Democrats spent Monday denouncing one of their own colleagues, which dominated the media coverage and sucked up much of the oxygen on Capitol Hill.

It's the latest misstep by the freshman trio, who have become celebrities on the left because of their historic election victories and their skilled use of social media.

On Jan. 3, just hours after she was sworn in, Tlaib was caught on video yelling "We're gonna impeach the motherf---er!" in reference to Trump. The video became a worldwide sensation, and even Trump — who has faced his own charges of racism and anti-Semitism — called it "disrespectful." Republicans said Tlaib's comments showed Democrats' real aim is remove Trump from office even before special counsel Robert Mueller releases his report on Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

After a media furor, Tlaib said: "I understand that I am a member of Congress and I don't want anything that I do or say to distract us. And that's the only thing that I apologize for — that it was a distraction."

Ocasio-Cortez, who took down a potential House speaker in a Democratic primary in New York and has forcefully urged the party to veer left, has been the constant target of NRCC fire.

"It speaks to a fear-based strategy that they utilize in order to kind of create political support, instead of actually painting a positive vision," Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview.

Most recently, she tangled with Republicans over provisions in her "Green New Deal" and on Monday her office retracted one of the documents tied to the resolution. The GOP mocked the move — but her plan to combat climate change has already been endorsed by roughly 70 House Democrats and a dozen Democratic senators, including four 2020 hopefuls.

The NRCC also hit Ocasio-Cortez last week for what it called "a fawning recap of her call with British Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose ties to anti-Semitism run so deep the British police launched an inquiry into allegations of anti-Semitic speech by him and other members of his party."

The NRCC rejects any suggestion that its constant criticism of the Democratic trio is racist or misogynistic, blaming reporters for even asking such a question.

“Only in the minds of Washington, D.C. editors, reporters and pundits could calling out Democrats for racism, sexual assault and anti-Semitism be considered racist and misogynistic," said NRCC Executive Director Parker Poling in a statement.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, one of most outspoken progressive Democrats, blasted Republicans for focusing so much attention on Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Omar.

"This is sort of a fear-mongering and a bit of insecurity among the fact that most of these women have far bigger Twitter followings than any of them ever could hope for," Jayapal said. " I think they just don’t know what to do with powerful women of color. I’ve felt that before ... in this chamber and I think it’s a new level because there’s so many more of us now."

And Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, who chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last cycle, said he saw the GOP efforts as a continuation of the Republican strategy.

"Look at the millions and millions of dollars that have been spent in attacking Speaker Pelosi and now we’re seeing them double down on a failed playbook in attacking women again," Luján said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, who chaired the NRCC last cycle, predicted Republicans will always go back to hitting Pelosi — as they have for the past dozen years — until the Democrats pick a presidential nominee, who will then become their primary focus.

“If you remember when Hillary Clinton was out of office she was very popular," Stivers said. "When the speaker was not speaker, she became a little more popular. So I think it might work, people might be reminded of what they thought of her in the first place."

thats basically the entire function of their super pacs.

These newbies are taking the crosshairs off of the rest of the field

In a good way, IMO

Let them push these issues into the forefront

and have the D candidates sweep the leg with actual policy discussion, etc...in the debates

Basically, own it...all of it

Make the Rs play defense...at every step

Majority of americans support medicare for all
green new deal
and yes, ending aid to Israel

Let them take their pot shots...and counter with content.

...Thoughcrime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak#Crimethink

https://twitter.com/MairavZ/status/1095497145577177088

the best way to prove its not all about the benjamins is to immediately show its all about the benjamins.

and have condemned Omar for her statements.

This is yet another area where the Schumer/Pelosi/Clinton wing of the party (which is *the* party establishment) differs drastically from the new energy coming from these brave Congresswoman.

-->

https://twitter.com/rabbishmuley/status/729804272129298432

this is the most pressed I've ever seen you about anything lol.

Tulsi has shown that she will meet with *anyone* - friend or foe - in good faith discussions to avoid war.

But it's funny you choose to attack on this issue - particularly when Zionists are coming out condemning her because of (1) her vocal condemnation over settlements and Israeli troops firing on protesters in Gaza; (2) her calling out that we are in Syria to further Israeli and Saudi interests; and (3) her condemnation of Trump for pulling out of the Iran Deal and calling out Israel for its imperial quest in the MidEast and influence over our MidEast policy.

Kamala and the other Dem Presidential candidates have done *none* of that.

In fact, Kamala recently had a Trump-like bending of the knee to AIPAC and has courted the Israeli lobby for $$$ for her campaign.

Once again - Tulsi is the most Progressive on the issue out of all of the candidates running - yet smeared by those who are trying to assassinate her character.
-->

and israel hardliners here and there.

im sure fox news favorite rabbi and avid aipac supporter (and roseanne barrs spiritual advisor lol) shmuley boteach, zionist bagman sheldon adelsons wife, and new energy tulsi were just engaged in some good faith discussions among foes lol.

shes like everybody else you despise vex. time to admit it good brother.

and you still never answered why she followed alt right internet stars and david duke sidekicks on twitter.
http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13306367&mesg_id=13306367&page=#13311826

Guess you accept the pro-AIPAC, pro Israeli extremist right-wing regime supporting Kamala but have nothing but criticism for the only candidate in the race who has rightfully criticized Israel.

Glad we settled that.

-->

using tulsi gabbard herself.

you think me pointing out tulsis ties to israel is me absolving kamala.

im telling you theyre peas in a pod on this issue (tulsi actually even harder right).

talk about deflecting and not addressing...

I won't hold my breathe on that.

And you're talking about a twitter follow? Bro, pressed. So if someone follows Donald Trump to stay in tune with what he's saying (no matter how vehemently they disagree with him) that's full-out endorsement of Donald Trump?

The notion that Tulsi is down with the alt-right is comical - but the fact that you're serious about this really questions your credibility as a political commentator.


-->

"The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day." -- Donald Trump

https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1095516319661936640


At a Republican Jewish Coalition event in 2015, Trump said, "You're not going to support me because I don't want your money ... You want to control your own politicians."
https://t.co/k60C3KvrUr

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1095531827916427265

https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1095763653532487682

So that we can run a Joe Biden android.


Bidenbot/Chelsea Clinton 2036

I wasn't offended and the ZOMG TROPE! people are taking it too far and it's funny because a lot of didn't say shit when Trump was pumping out one trope after another in their fucking faces during his campaign (and really for his whole life). Wonder if a jawn in a burka has anything to do with that, hmmmmmm.

She tried to be hip (and failed) and jokes that fall flat often come out as artless or insensitive. But to me this is mostly a non-story except for the wild ass way that centrist dems lined up to condemn her. For a bunch who preaches solidarity and comes down hard on "divisive" lefties, they sure as hell have come out hot against people in their own party between this and speculation of eliminating AOC's district entirely.

In the words of Trinidad James, FUCK 'EM

and was correct in what he said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoMeUbDp39w

>Trump was pumping out one trope after another in their fucking
>faces during his campaign (and really for his whole life).

That he was. But he also bent the knee to AIPAC and made good on his promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem (a promise he made to Sheldon Adelson). Trump is deeply popular in Israel. Netanyahu even has a billboard with Trump on it posted for his re-election campaign. There is a clear trend of even "progressive" Israelis who are soft on Trump. He's essentially a pro-Zionist President.

It's understated how extremist Israel's regime is. It's hardcore right-wing - and there is an attempt to push Israel even *further* to the right that is popular. Progressives have zero power - and Israel's policy towards Palestine is more extreme now than it's been in decades.

Trump has completely enabled this.


-->

bibi was forming a coalition with the israeli equivalent of david duke.

now aipac has to act like theyre entirely against it.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1099034088130965504

to the fact that there was something she could have said or worded better that would've made them not go after her. Short of never saying anything about American foreign policy ever again, they'll never stop coming for her.

This shit is clearly a coordinated hit job and Dem leadership keeps falling for it. They tried to tie her to 9/11 and SHE is being rebuked.

And double fuck my new Congressman Dean Philips for putting his name on this. Already called his office and complained, just thought I could finally have a Democratic Congressman who could go more than 2 months without doing something awful.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/04/omar-israel-house-democrats-1201881

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Democrats will take floor action Wednesday in response to controversial remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar about Israel, the second such rebuke of the freshman Democrat from party leaders in recent weeks.

Pelosi and other senior Democrats have drafted a resolution to address the controversy, which ballooned over the weekend following a public clash between Omar and senior Jewish lawmakers.

The resolution, which began circulating to members Monday night, comes after a backlash from top Democrats who accused Omar of anti-Semitism for referring to pro-Israel advocates’ “allegiance to a foreign country.”

The draft measure is four pages that largely details the history and recent rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. but does not specifically name Omar, which had been an internal dispute among Democrats.

Instead, it condemns the "myth of dual loyalty," using the same language as top Democrats, like House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, who have condemned Omar in recent days.

If the House moves ahead with the vote on Wednesday as planned, it would be an unprecedented public rebuke of Omar, who was sworn into office just over 60 days ago. Omar's office declined to comment about the Democratic resolution on Monday.

Yet these efforts by Pelosi and other Democratic leaders won't be enough for Republicans, who want a more serious punishment for Omar.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other senior Republicans are considering offering a censure motion against Omar, according to GOP sources. Republicans may also formally demand that Democrats strip Omar of her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, a move that Pelosi and other senior Democrats won't take at this point.

Republicans see the furor over Omar as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Democratic supporters of Israel — long an unquestioned position inside both parties — and younger lawmakers who are highly critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Omar’s remarks are just the latest in a series of comments she's made that many of her Democratic colleagues say are blatantly anti-Semitic and must be retracted.

Democratic leaders are still debating whether to mention Omar by name in the resolution, according to multiple sources. Staffers for Pelosi and top Democrats, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), began drafting the resolution over the weekend as the confrontation between Omar and her colleagues unfolded on Twitter.

Two of the House’s most senior Democrats — Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel and Lowey — called out Omar in public statements, demanding she apologize.

Lowey condemned Omar’s use of “offensive, painful stereotypes,” leading to a fight on Twitter as Omar dug in on her comments and was cheered by some on the left.

“Our democracy is built on debate, Congresswoman!” Omar wrote, later adding, “I have not mischaracterized our relationship with Israel, I have questioned it and that has been clear from my end.”

Staffers for several Jewish lawmakers, including Engel and Lowey, soon began working with Democratic leaders on the resolution. Aides for House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) along with Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and fellow Minnesota freshman Rep. Dean Phillips are also involved, according to multiple sources.

A resolution on the floor, regardless of whether it specifically mentions Omar, would be an extraordinary public admonishment from House leaders, particularly against a member of their own party, and speaks to the seriousness with which Democratic leaders view the ongoing controversy.

Just three weeks earlier, Pelosi and her top lieutenants issued a rare public rebuke of Omar’s previous remarks, which suggested pro-Israel groups were using their financial heft to shape U.S.-Middle East policy.

The announcement of floor action Monday came after a mounting backlash from outside groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, which wrote a letter to Pelosi calling for a House resolution to reject what the organization called Omar’s “latest slur.”

“We urge you and your colleagues to send the unambiguous message that the United States Congress is no place for hate,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, wrote in a letter. Democratic staffers had already started working on the resolution before the group's letter, according to one senior Democratic aide.

Nearly a dozen pro-Israel groups also urged Pelosi to oust Omar from her coveted spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Engel, the chairman of that committee, called out Omar for a “vile anti-Semitic slur” over the weekend, but did not call for her to be removed from the committee.

Out of the two dozen other Democrats on the Foreign Affairs committee, nearly all did not respond or declined a request to comment on Monday. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), who sits on the committee, wrote on Twitter that Omar should apologize for “hurtful anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

“Questioning support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is unacceptable,” Vargas wrote.

No congressional Democrats have publicly called for Omar to lose her seat on the Foreign Affairs panel, though GOP leaders have begun to pounce as Pelosi and her leadership team prepare yet another rebuke of Omar’s language.

“Resolutions are all well and good, but Speaker Pelosi is clearly afraid to stand up to Rep. Omar if she continues to reward her with a plum spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote on Twitter Monday.

Omar has received support from prominent progressive figures, including fellow freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — the first Palestinian-American congresswoman, who has also strongly argued that U.S. policy toward Israel should be overhauled. Another popular progressive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), has also come to Omar's defense.

In response to Lowey’s criticism, Tlaib defended Omar and said she had been “targeted just like many civil rights icons before us who spoke out about oppressive policies.”

Omar this year became the first Somali-American and joined Tlaib as the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

In recent days, Omar has also been targeted by anti-Muslim attacks. On Friday, an Islamophobic poster displayed at an event sponsored by the West Virginia GOP appeared to link her to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The poster included a photo of the World Trade Center buildings on fire and a photo of Omar below it.

Omar and her allies have called out her Democratic colleagues for largely failing to come to her defense even as she faced growing criticism for her comments about Israel. Lowey did condemn the “gross islamophobic stereotypes” in her tweet on Sunday, as did top Democrats like Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Katherine Clark of Massachusetts.

Pelosi and Hoyer, however, have not responded.

Omar and Tlaib have relished making public their opposition to Israeli policies — from settlements in Palestinian territories to the lobbying influence of AIPAC — in a way that has struck a nerve with Jewish lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Omar’s positions have directly challenged a decades-old plank of U.S. foreign policy: unfaltering U.S. support for Israel.

“I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks,” Omar wrote on Twitter in response to Lowey.

Omar’s previous comments last month scrutinizing the political influence of AIPAC — when she tweeted the phrase, "It's all about the Benjamins baby" — drew sharp scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

Omar apologized for that statement, though House Republicans still pushed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, without specifically naming Omar. The measure was overwhelmingly approved on the floor, including winning Omar’s vote.

The part where he said that not supporting Israel was "unacceptable"?

She's brave as hell standing up to this kind of craven nonsense.

regarding THIS issue.

Then a guy who worked for Elliott Abrams got to write in the WaPo that she's the Democrats own Steve King, which makes a ton of sense if your brain is mush.

I hope she never stops.

I worked hard to convince myself that somebody wanting to hold a high public office was almost, in itself, disqualifying for public office as a buffer from buying into any political cult of personality. It helps, mostly. I like Bernie's politics but I mostly don't care about him as a person. Etc.

But I'm just absurdly impressed with Rep. Omar. She's brave and principled without embracing some kind of false bluster - permitting us to see a politics which is animated by love and compassion. So my plan didn't work. I'm in the tank for her entirely.

that Sanders, etc, don't. Even if they're similar policy-wise.

elected for office at dis rate


at least when they come for aoc its for some actual policy shit


omar and talib aint even been in office for a few months n already its all dis avoidable bs

sucks for similar people commin after em

they should recognize da bridges they burnin aint just gonna affect them

>they should recognize da bridges they burnin aint just gonna
>affect them

Alternately, we could be as loud as possible in encouraging them to say things which are true and virtuous so that the bad faith bigots and their spineless helpers back off and accept that they will lose.

>
>elected for office at dis rate
>
>
>at least when they come for aoc its for some actual policy
>shit
>
>
>omar and talib aint even been in office for a few months n
>already its all dis avoidable bs
>
>sucks for similar people commin after em
>
>they should recognize da bridges they burnin aint just gonna
>affect them
>
>
>

What good is the bridge if the only who can cross it is a non white, non christen women" who walks on egg shells ? One Obama is enough.

They aren’t burning bridges

Those bridges been falling apart for years... they just can’t handle when brown people walk over them.

A party that condemns Omar and bullies her in this kind of manner just to appease Establishment order and special interests?

The party is doing all it can to alienate and mitigate AOC, Omar, Tulsi & Bernie. That's the move y'all think is right for this country?

History will prove how wrong this normative, partisan groupthink mentality has been - and in short order.

-->

and folks who keep trying to get us to walk towards the aisle we some fools.

Call your reps, organize, stand up at a town hall (if they have one) and ask them what specific thing she said that they found so objectionable. This is something people are going to need to be pushed back on HARD, and it absolutely sucks that we're still at the point where even calling Israel a foreign government is getting criticized.

The most frustrating thing about the establishment is they like putting Omar forward or in Rolling Stone to show off how young and diverse their caucus is, but the second she actually says something that is a perfectly normal opinion for a younger, more diverse electorate to say, they come down on her. They love the idea of a progressive young Muslim, but not her ideas.

I'm still not voting for Jill Stein 2020, though, lol.

>The most frustrating thing about the establishment is they
>like putting Omar forward or in Rolling Stone to show off how
>young and diverse their caucus is, but the second she actually
>says something that is a perfectly normal opinion for a
>younger, more diverse electorate to say, they come down on
>her. They love the idea of a progressive young Muslim, but not
>her ideas.

Exactly. What they really want is a candidate who looks like Omar but with standard establishment group-think stances on policy.

>I'm still not voting for Jill Stein 2020, though, lol.

LOL thankfully Jill is sitting this one out. (Incidentally, she has defended Omar and has an exceptionally well crafted and thought-out foreign policy).


-->

McCollum represents the district right next to Omar's and has a history of criticizing Aipac even more aggressively than Omar.

Wonder why they're going so much harder on the Somali-American Muslim in a hijab.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/aipac-congress-democrats.html

But other lawmakers bristle at Aipac’s tactics. In 2006, Representative Betty McCollum, Democrat of Minnesota, who has advocated humanitarian aid for Palestinians, wrote an angry letter to Mr. Kohr saying Aipac would be barred from her offices until it apologized for the behavior of one of its representatives who had berated her chief of staff, Bill Harper, and said Ms. McCollum’s “support for terrorists will not be tolerated.”

Mr. Harper said he took it as an effort “to intimidate” Ms. McCollum, “including threatening to take care of her in the next election.” He said Aipac’s members subsequently stopped donating to her.

even jewish people like bernie (who was the only prez candidate in 2016 to skip the usual aipac speech i believe).

shaun king at a bernie rally this weekend talked in blunt terms about the israeli apartheid state/occupation and nobody even batted a lash.

80% of jewish americans vote for democrats. the large majority of those people love/support israel but dont fuck with aipac or the netanyahu regime. especially the younger generations of jewish americans.

there are currently like 20 jewish members of congress. all but 2 of them are democrats.

im not even sure what point im trying to make lol. but i dont think that many people (jewish or otherwise) really give a fuck about omars comments outside of the dc political/pundit class. but the press/lobby seem to have fixated on her (along with aoc and tlaib).

Very few voters are so in the tank for Israel that they're genuinely troubled by any criticism of it (and the ones who are like that are more likely to be Evangelical Christians than Jewish anyway.) Hell the most critical and knowledgeable people about Israel tend to be Jewish, since this apartheid is being done in their name, whereas Christians tend to just say "support Israel or you're an anti-Semite."

In 10 years, nobody is going to think this shit is controversial, and nobody's going to bother apologizing to her.

they believe the expansion of the jewish holy land is an occurrence necessary to bring about the rapture.

they view israel simply as a stepping stone for an apocalyptic biblical prophecy and they actually think thats a good thing lol.

crazy how pundits obsess over legit/sane rationale behind criticism of israels policies and not the real crazy shit like that.

Jews are either eliminated or converted, once Jesus comes back.

I wouldn't want to ally with people like that if I was a Jewish state, but what do I know?

>Wonder why they're going so much harder on the Somali-American
>Muslim in a hijab.
>

of course wat she sayin aint lies

but shit

its fuckin politics yo


okp can pretend we in some postracial ass shit if it want to

dat aint reality


reality is if you first ANYTHING you gotta slow da fuck out ya role or it aint gonna be another YOU again n dats real


yall think obama woulda got away wit stickin cigars in a interns's pussy?

mfuckas wanna come at him on some he some boring wet toast shit

but he da reason its finna be possible for more black pres in da future


da first black muslim congresswoman ever decide to take on da jewish establishment soon as she take office


come on yo

first muslim on da foreign relations committee might get pulled cuz she cant stop talkin shit?

forest for da trees yall

You think we will ever have another Obama in the WH?

Might as well say what you feel while you are in there instead of playing nice for the next person. Might not have a country if we keep this play nice bullshit up thinking about the next election.

Look who was elected right after Obama.

will bring a resolution condemning anti-Semitism to a House vote Wednesday

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/04/omar-israel-house-democrats-1201881

House Dems will take floor action to confront Omar’s latest Israel comments
The freshman Democrat is clashing with senior lawmakers who view her remarks as anti-Semitic.

By SARAH FERRIS, HEATHER CAYGLE and JOHN BRESNAHAN 03/04/2019 12:50 PM EST Updated 03/04/2019 06:42 PM EST
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Democrats will take floor action Wednesday in response to controversial remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar about Israel, the second such rebuke of the freshman Democrat from party leaders in recent weeks.

Pelosi and other senior Democrats have drafted a resolution to address the controversy, which ballooned over the weekend following a public clash between Omar and senior Jewish lawmakers.


The resolution, which began circulating to members Monday night, comes after a backlash from top Democrats who accused Omar of anti-Semitism for referring to pro-Israel advocates’ “allegiance to a foreign country.”

The draft measure is four pages that largely details the history and recent rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. but does not specifically name Omar, which had been an internal dispute among Democrats.

DOCUMENT
PAGES
TEXT
Search
Zoom



«
Page 1 of 4
»

Instead, it condemns the "myth of dual loyalty," using the same language as top Democrats, like House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, who have condemned Omar in recent days.

If the House moves ahead with the vote on Wednesday as planned, it would be an unprecedented public rebuke of Omar, who was sworn into office just over 60 days ago. Omar's office declined to comment about the Democratic resolution on Monday.

Yet these efforts by Pelosi and other Democratic leaders won't be enough for Republicans, who want a more serious punishment for Omar.
ADVERTISING



House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other senior Republicans are considering offering a censure motion against Omar, according to GOP sources. Republicans may also formally demand that Democrats strip Omar of her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, a move that Pelosi and other senior Democrats won't take at this point.

Republicans see the furor over Omar as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Democratic supporters of Israel — long an unquestioned position inside both parties — and younger lawmakers who are highly critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Omar’s remarks are just the latest in a series of comments she's made that many of her Democratic colleagues say are blatantly anti-Semitic and must be retracted.

Democratic leaders are still debating whether to mention Omar by name in the resolution, according to multiple sources. Staffers for Pelosi and top Democrats, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), began drafting the resolution over the weekend as the confrontation between Omar and her colleagues unfolded on Twitter.

Two of the House’s most senior Democrats — Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel and Lowey — called out Omar in public statements, demanding she apologize.

Jerry Nadler
CONGRESS

House Democrats open sweeping corruption probe into Trump’s world
By ANDREW DESIDERIO and DARREN SAMUELSOHN
Lowey condemned Omar’s use of “offensive, painful stereotypes,” leading to a fight on Twitter as Omar dug in on her comments and was cheered by some on the left.


“Our democracy is built on debate, Congresswoman!” Omar wrote, later adding, “I have not mischaracterized our relationship with Israel, I have questioned it and that has been clear from my end.”

Staffers for several Jewish lawmakers, including Engel and Lowey, soon began working with Democratic leaders on the resolution. Aides for House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) along with Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and fellow Minnesota freshman Rep. Dean Phillips are also involved, according to multiple sources.

A resolution on the floor, regardless of whether it specifically mentions Omar, would be an extraordinary public admonishment from House leaders, particularly against a member of their own party, and speaks to the seriousness with which Democratic leaders view the ongoing controversy.

Just three weeks earlier, Pelosi and her top lieutenants issued a rare public rebuke of Omar’s previous remarks, which suggested pro-Israel groups were using their financial heft to shape U.S.-Middle East policy.

The announcement of floor action Monday came after a mounting backlash from outside groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, which wrote a letter to Pelosi calling for a House resolution to reject what the organization called Omar’s “latest slur.”

“We urge you and your colleagues to send the unambiguous message that the United States Congress is no place for hate,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, wrote in a letter. Democratic staffers had already started working on the resolution before the group's letter, according to one senior Democratic aide.

Nearly a dozen pro-Israel groups also urged Pelosi to oust Omar from her coveted spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Engel, the chairman of that committee, called out Omar for a “vile anti-Semitic slur” over the weekend, but did not call for her to be removed from the committee.

Out of the two dozen other Democrats on the Foreign Affairs committee, nearly all did not respond or declined a request to comment on Monday. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), who sits on the committee, wrote on Twitter that Omar should apologize for “hurtful anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

“Questioning support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is unacceptable,” Vargas wrote.

No congressional Democrats have publicly called for Omar to lose her seat on the Foreign Affairs panel, though GOP leaders have begun to pounce as Pelosi and her leadership team prepare yet another rebuke of Omar’s language.

“Resolutions are all well and good, but Speaker Pelosi is clearly afraid to stand up to Rep. Omar if she continues to reward her with a plum spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote on Twitter Monday.

Omar has received support from prominent progressive figures, including fellow freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — the first Palestinian-American congresswoman, who has also strongly argued that U.S. policy toward Israel should be overhauled. Another popular progressive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), has also come to Omar's defense.

In response to Lowey’s criticism, Tlaib defended Omar and said she had been “targeted just like many civil rights icons before us who spoke out about oppressive policies.”

Omar this year became the first Somali-American and joined Tlaib as the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

Mitch McConnell
NATIONAL EMERGENCY

McConnell: Senate will pass resolution blocking Trump’s border emergency
By BURGESS EVERETT
In recent days, Omar has also been targeted by anti-Muslim attacks. On Friday, an Islamophobic poster displayed at an event sponsored by the West Virginia GOP appeared to link her to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The poster included a photo of the World Trade Center buildings on fire and a photo of Omar below it.


Omar and her allies have called out her Democratic colleagues for largely failing to come to her defense even as she faced growing criticism for her comments about Israel. Lowey did condemn the “gross islamophobic stereotypes” in her tweet on Sunday, as did top Democrats like Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Katherine Clark of Massachusetts.

Pelosi and Hoyer, however, have not responded.

Omar and Tlaib have relished making public their opposition to Israeli policies — from settlements in Palestinian territories to the lobbying influence of AIPAC — in a way that has struck a nerve with Jewish lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Omar’s positions have directly challenged a decades-old plank of U.S. foreign policy: unfaltering U.S. support for Israel.

“I am told everyday that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks,” Omar wrote on Twitter in response to Lowey.

Omar’s previous comments last month scrutinizing the political influence of AIPAC — when she tweeted the phrase, "It's all about the Benjamins baby" — drew sharp scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

Omar apologized for that statement, though House Republicans still pushed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, without specifically naming Omar. The measure was overwhelmingly approved on the floor, including winning Omar’s vote.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/28/gaza-israel-un-inquiry-killings-protest-war-crimes-army

Inquiry accuses army of killing demonstrators ‘who were not posing an imminent threat’

Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem

Thu 28 Feb 2019 06.37 EST Last modified on Thu 28 Feb 2019 15.45 EST
Shares
66,230
Israeli troops fire teargas at Palestinians protesting near the Gaza border fence
Israeli troops fire teargas at Palestinians protesting near the Gaza border fence. Photograph: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters
UN investigators have accused Israeli soldiers of intentionally firing on civilians and said they may have committed war crimes in their lethal response to Palestinian demonstrations in Gaza.

The independent Commission of Inquiry, set up last year by the UN’s human rights council, said Israeli forces killed 189 people and shot more than 6,100 others with live ammunition near the fence that divides the two territories.

The panel said in a statement that it had found “reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers shot at journalists, health workers, children and persons with disabilities, knowing they were clearly recognisable as such”.

The Guardian view on the Gaza protests: a new challenge to Israel’s blockade
Read more
Thirty-five of those killed were children, three were clearly identifiable paramedics and two were clearly marked journalists, the report said.

Israel dismissed the report as “hostile, mendacious and slanted”.

The panel acknowledged “acts of significant violence” from the demonstrators, who threw stones, molotov cocktails and in several cases explosives at the fence and Israeli troops behind it.

It made clear, however, that such actions did not amount to combat or military campaigns, rejecting an Israeli claim of “terror activities” by Palestinian armed groups. “The demonstrations were civilian in nature, with clearly stated political aims,” it said.

Investigators also said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli troops had killed and injured Palestinians “who were neither directly participating in hostilities, nor posing an imminent threat.”

They said: “These serious human rights and humanitarian law violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.”

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

HRC SECRETARIAT
✔
@UN_HRC
#COIProtests: 81% of gunshots injuries where to the legs of demonstrators. 122 people had one or both legs amputated. 20 were children under 18 #Gaza #UN #HumanRights

129
1:35 AM - Feb 28, 2019
239 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Weekly protests have been held at the frontier between Israel and the Gaza Strip since March last year, calling for the easing of an Israeli blockade on people and goods. Rallies have also demanded recognition of the right of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and elsewhere to return to their ancestral homes in Israel.

Advertisement

Israel’s army has said its forces opened fire to protect against attacks and incursions. Four of its troops have been injured during the protests, and one soldier was killed by a bullet fired from Gaza.

The UN inquiry also found fault with the protest organisers, which include Gaza’s rulers, Hamas, for allowing the use of kites and balloons carrying cans of flaming petrol that have floated into Israel during rallies and torched fields.

Those acts caused fear among civilians and significant damage to property in southern Israel, the panel said.

The demonstrations continue, but the inquiry only investigated possible violations from the start of the protests on 30 March to the end of 2018. It conducted 325 interviews with victims and witnesses, it said, and analysed social media and audio-visual material, including drone footage.

Israeli authorities did not respond to repeated requests for information and access, the panel said.

Yisrael Katz, Israel’s acting foreign minister, said on Thursday that the investigation was “another hostile, mendacious and slanted report against the State of Israel”.

“No one can deny Israel the right of self-defence and the obligation to defend its citizens and borders from violent attacks,” he said.

A fuller report will be presented to the human rights council in Geneva on 18 March.




+1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be indicted on corruption charges

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-indicted-bribe-fraud-charges-n977571

The announcement marks the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister faces criminal charges of this nature.



Israel's attorney general announces plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
FEB. 28, 201901:01
Feb. 28, 2019, 8:16 AM PST / Updated Feb. 28, 2019, 1:55 PM PST
By Yuliya Talmazan and Paul Goldman
Israel's attorney general announced Thursday that his office plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges after a two-year investigation.

The prime minister faces one count of bribery and three counts of breach of trust.

"The Attorney General, Avihai Mandelblit, has informed the Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, through his attorney, that he is considering indicting him on several criminal charges," according to a statement by Ministry of Justice spokesman Adi Livni.

Prosecutors would have to go forward with a pre-indictment hearing before Netanyahu is formally charged.

"It should be noted that the decision regarding an indictment is not yet final, since the Attorney General will offer to conduct a pre-indictment hearing before reaching any final decision, according to Israeli law," according to Livni's statement.

With elections just six weeks away, Netanyahu called the prosecution's announcement "outrageous" and an "unprecedented witch hunt" carried out by his liberal opponents.

The prime minister vowed to refute all allegations which he said are "blood libel."

Police have previously recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases.

Netanyahu claimed his predecessors have received small gifts similar to what he has been accused of taking, but were not charged.

"If it not Bibi — there’s no investigation," Netanyahu said, referring to himself by his nickname.




Netanyahu rejects allegations of corruption
FEB. 28, 201901:08
The most serious allegations against Netanyahu involve his relationship with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Israel's telecom giant Bezeq.

Police recommended an indictment in the case based on evidence collected that confidants of Netanyahu promoted regulatory changes worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq. In exchange, they believe Netanyahu used his connections with Elovitch to receive positive press coverage on Bezeq's popular subsidiary news site, Walla. Police have said their investigation concluded that Netanyahu and Elovitch engaged in a "bribe-based relationship."

Police also recommended charges be brought against Elovitch, members of his family and members of his Bezeq management team.

Police have previously recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges in two other cases. One involves accepting gifts from billionaire friends, and the second revolves around alleged offers of advantageous legislation for a major newspaper in return for favorable coverage.

Netanyahu, 69, who is serving his third consecutive term as prime minister and his fourth overall, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and called the various allegations against him a witch hunt aimed at removing him from office.

The attorney general's decision to publish his conclusions 39 days prior to the general election on April 9 is raising questions about what impact it can have on the outcome of the vote.

Related

WORLD NEWS
Analysis: Benjamin Netanyahu's embrace of far-right extremists may seal his fate
Israeli media reported Thursday that with just hours to go before Mandelblit's anticipated decision to indict Netanyahu, his Likud Party filed a petition to the Supreme Court to stop the announcement from happening before the election on the grounds that it would unfairly impact on Netanyahu's prospects of re-election. However, the court's spokesperson confirmed later in the afternoon that the petition was rejected.

The announcement marks the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister faces criminal charges of this nature.

Legal experts in Israel say it could take up to a year for a hearing process into the charges to end and an additional two years for a court case to be heard.

While Israeli prime ministers are not required by law to resign if charged, the prospect of a prime minister standing trial while simultaneously running the country would be uncharted territory.

In response to the indictment, Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute said Netanyahu should consider carefully whether it’s best for him to stay on as prime minister or resign and focus on proving his case in the courts.

“We cannot ignore the serious potential damage to the public's trust in the state’s institutions caused by a situation in which the government is headed by an individual charged with criminal misconduct involving abuse of power,” the organization’s statement said.

The institute says the timing of the announcement doesn’t constitute “an inappropriate influence on the elections” because it was made “within a reasonable amount of time before the elections, taking into account both the public’s right to know and the desire not to intervene in the electoral process.”

Israeli law professor Avi Bell, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based Kohelet Policy Forum, said the indictment inserts law enforcement officials into the political arena “in an unprecedented way, and on a very shaky legal foundation.”

Related

WORLD NEWS
Netanyahu appears to say war with Iran is common goal
President Donald Trump, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close connection, said " done a great job as prime minister" in response to a question in Hanoi, where he was holding a summit with the leader of North Korea.

"He's tough, he's smart, he's strong," Trump said of the Israeli leader, but didn’t comment on the indictment.

Netanyahu rushed back Wednesday from a diplomatic mission to Moscow, and a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, to prepare for his expected rebuttal to the charges on Thursday.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is Netanyahu's former cabinet secretary.

While no stranger to scandal, this was the first time Netanyahu faced the possibility of being formally charged with a crime.

Netanyahu and his family's luxurious lifestyle — often at taxpayers’ expense — has come under scrutiny before. Nearly six years ago, Netanyahu was criticized for reportedly spending $127,000 in public funds for a special sleeping cabin for a five-and-a-half hour flight to London for Margaret Thatcher's funeral. That came just months after the Netanyahu family's taxpayer-funded food budget included $2,700 for artisanal pistachio and French vanilla ice cream.

CORRECTION (Feb. 28, 2019, 12:56 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story misstated the Israeli attorney general's decision regarding an indictment for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attorney general said he plans to issue the indictment, but has not done so yet.





= US on the wrong side of history...AGAIN.

Whether you disagreed with her statements, Ilhan seems like a good person with good intentions speaking from a place of wanting to help people in need. At the most, which I don't believe she did, she misspoke. And Dems come down on her as hard as they come down on Trump and his ilk who are bad disingenuous people who do far worst.

We can never win if Dems have to live by a playbook the opposition makes and doesn't have to abide by.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

have you heard the full statement?

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/8/ilhan_omar_in_her_own_words

She didn't misspeak. In fact, she was very deliberate with her wording

She never even mentions Israel, or Jews by name

which in and of itself is very telling considering the pushback

Is advocating for Palestine's self-determination anti-semetic?

Where Democrats fail is when they fall in line with this bullshit, instead of defending their own when they're right.

REP. ILHAN OMAR: It’s almost as if every single time we say something, regardless of what it is we say, that is supposed to be about foreign policy, our engagement, our advocacy about ending oppression or the freeing of every human life and wanting dignity, we get to be labeled in something, and that ends the discussion, because we end up defending that, and nobody ever gets to have the broader debate of what is happening with Palestine.

So, for me, I want to talk about—I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. I want to ask: Why is it OK for me to talk about the influence of the NRA, of fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policy? Right?

I want to ask the question—I want to ask the question of why is it OK for you to push, for you to be—there are so many people. I mean, most of us are new, but many members of Congress have been there forever. Some of them have been there before we were born. So I know many of them, many of them, were fighting—were fighting for people to be freed, for people to live in dignity in South Africa. I know many of them fight for people around the world to have dignity, to have self-determination. So I know—I know that they care about these things. But now that you have two Muslims who are saying, “Here is a group of people that we want to make sure they have the dignity that you want everybody else to have,” we get to be called names, and we get to be labeled as hateful?

No, we know what hate looks like. We experience it every single day. I have colleagues who talk about death threats. I have colleagues who talk about death threats. And sometimes—there are cities in my state where the gas stations have written on their bathrooms, “Assassinate Ilhan Omar.” I have people driving around my district looking for my home, for my office, causing me harm. I have people, every single day, on Fox News and everywhere, posting that I am a threat to this country. So I know what fear looks like. The masjid, the masjid I pray in, in Minnesota, got bombed by two domestic white terrorists. So I know what it feels to be someone who is of faith that is vilified. I know what it means to be of someone who is of ethnicity that is vilified. I know what it feels to be—

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!

REP. ILHAN OMAR: —of a race, of a race—right? Like, I am an immigrant, so I don’t have the historical drama that some of my black sisters and brothers have in this country. But I know—I know what it means for people to just see me as a black person and to treat me as less than a human.

And so, when people say, “You are bringing hate,” I know what their intention is. Their intention is to make sure that our lights are dimmed, that we walk around with our heads bowed, that we lower our face and our voice.

But we have news for people. You can call us any kind of name. You can threaten us any kind of way. Rashida and I are not ourselves. Every single day we walk in the halls of Congress, we have people who have never had the opportunity to walk. They’re walking with us. So, we’re here. We’re here to stay and represent the voices of people who have been silenced for many decades and generations. And we’re here to fight for the people of our district, who want to make sure that there is actual prosperity—actual prosperity—being guaranteed, because there is a direct correlation between not having a clean water and starting endless wars. It’s all about the profit and who gets benefit of it. There’s a direct correlation—there is a direct correlation between corporations that are getting rich and the fact that we have students that are shackled with debt. There is a direct correlation between the White House and the people who are benefiting from having detention beds that are profitized.

So, what people are afraid of is not that there are two Muslims in Congress. What people are afraid of is that there are two Muslims in Congress that have their eyes wide open, that have their feet to the ground, that know what they’re talking about, that are fearless, and that understand that they have the same election certificate as everyone else in Congress.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/meghan-mccain-breaks-down-in-tears-over-ilhan-omars-scary-israel-comments

1. Complain about identity politics while disparaging someone else's identity
2. Draw insane false equivalencies (if it were said by a white Republican male, it would be Tuesday and nobody would even notice)
3. "Joe Lieberman is my family"
4. Cry
5. Talk over and ignore the actual ethnically Jewish person who thinks you're full of shit, because Joe Lieberman campaigned for your dad so you are The Real Knower of Jews


Again, nothing Omar said is as anti-Semitic as the notion McCain floated that Jewish = pro-Israel.

https://twitter.com/marc3y_/status/1103804650447237120

Right at 00:25. Started with the eye blinks, then increased from there.

anti-Semitic (the artist of the cartoon is Jewish. She, despite her dad loving Joe Lieberman even more than he loved pointless wars, is once again not Jewish.)

https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/status/1104075694823346178

https://www.newsweek.com/us-troops-somalia-donald-trump-al-shabab-586004

Rep Omar held a mirror up to Megan with the retweet

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1103741934726713344

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/433204-ilhan-omar-retweets-attack-on-meghan-mccains-faux-outrage-over-anti-semitism



TheHill.com

Omar retweets attack on Meghan McCain's 'faux outrage' over anti-Semitism

BY RACHEL FRAZIN - 03/08/19 10:37 AM EST 588



Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who has been accused of anti-Semitism for remarks critical of Israel and pro-Israel groups, retweeted an attack on Meghan McCain that claimed McCain had "faux outrage" over her comments.

"Meghan’s late father literally sang ‘bomb bomb bomb Iran’ and insisted on referring to his Vietnamese captors as ‘gooks’. He also, lest we forget, gave the world Sarah Palin," said the tweet Omar retweeted from journalist and commentator Mehdi Hasan.

"So a little less faux outrage over a former refugee-turned-freshman-representative pls," the tweet continued. Hasan is a columnist for The Intercept and a host of Al Jazeera English.

McCain, a co-host of "The View" and the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ripped Omar's retweet on Friday, calling it "trash" and "beneath a sitting member of Congress."


.@IlhanMN retweeting trash like this is beneath a sitting member of Congress, as is her blatantly anti-Semitic rhetoric. The Democratic Party looking the other way only helps Trump’s re-election efforts in 2020... https://t.co/WdSx4SqjIQ

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 8, 2019
The Hill has reached out to McCain for comment.

Omar made headlines last week when she suggested that politicians who support Israel do so out of allegiance to a foreign country. Her remark was slammed as anti-Semitic.

On Thursday, following outrage over the comment, the House passed a resolution to condemn hatred and bigotry, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The resolution was originally expected to condemn anti-Semitism alone.

Omar was also accused of being anti-Semitic when she tweeted last month that politicians' support for Israel was "all about the Benjamins."

https://www.axios.com/2020-presidential-election-democrats-aipac-conference-8b127610-39b2-4ccd-a76d-a0051a90b090.html

people may not say it in words...but their actions clearly show they agree with rep omar (or more importantly...they rightfully believe dem voters agree with her).

She may pay a heavy price tho

keith ellison (who preceded her) was dogged by 'anti-semitism' attacks just about his entire career and did just fine in the district.

andrew gillum was tied to an 'anti-semitic' organization during his campaign and jewish voters voted for him at the 70+% clip that dems usually get.

i honestly think the media wants people to care more about this stuff than people really do.

and saw that nobody really gives a fuck about aipac/israel lol.

i dont think there was much real backlash to her comments...outside of banal media coverage and manufactured bad faith outrage from repubs.

more than anything...outside of legacy political pundits...most of the discussion around it seemed to be 'we need to be able to distinguish anti-semitism from criticism of israel'.

i honestly dont think it hurt her that much if at all. she won her district primary with 48% in a field of 6 people. shes on a lot more solid footing than people like aoc and tlaib.

judge jeanine caught more tangible consequences to her comments about rep omar imo.

maybe im reading the tea leaves wrong tho. id like to hear others input.

I just don't know whether the current outpouring of support for Omar is a genuine matter of principle, or "hey let's dip our toe in the pool and see what happens"

I'd place my bets on AIPAC finding a way to ruin her career. Or certainly trying. Maybe not now but eventually.

She is prolly better in office than out for their pockets.

Members of the Muslim brotherhood and terrorists...?


https://twitter.com/AdamMilstein/status/1107662711964327936/photo/1


The Muslim Brotherhood is now part of Congress. New Reps. like @IlhanMN @RashidaTlaib are known as #AntiSemitic and Anti #Israel. Moreover, they both are representatives of #CAIR and #MuslimBrotherhood and their values clash with American values https://israelunwired.com/the-muslim-brotherhood-is-now-part-of-congress/ …

...just another day for the spineless Democratic party...

Literally

https://twitter.com/djlavoie/status/1116311245823541248

This shit gets people killed and someone already threatened to do it a couple weeks ago.