A New York congressman spoke against group member Rep. Ilhan Omar spoke out after the Minnesota Democrat claimed that Israel should not fight back against Hamas and called its military efforts a “war crime.”
Omar said Monday that she opposes an Israeli military response, saying that “peace and justice will not come from the barrel of a gun.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who represents New York’s 17th congressional district, wrote on X: ‘Israel was just brutally attacked by terrorists, funded by Iran, and you (Omar) want to cut off funding and military aid and equipment.
‘You are out of your mind and unfit to serve in the House of Representatives. That’s why you were removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee.’
In February, Omar was removed from the committee with fellow Republicans in Congress citing her past anti-Israel rhetoric as the reason.
The surprise terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel this weekend killed more than 900 people.
In her statement on Monday, Omar attacked Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s actions against Hamas, calling it “collective punishment” and a “war crime.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar has made headlines again with inflammatory comments calling Israel’s response to Hamas’ brutal attacks a ‘war crime’.
Omar’s came as Israeli forces continue to storm Gaza in response to Hamas’ atrocious attacks
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, called Omar out, saying she was unfit to serve in Congress.
“The Israeli defense minister called Palestinians ‘human animals’ and promised to cut off all electricity, all food and all fuel to civilians in Gaza,” she said.
Omar is a member of the left-wing group of Democrats in Congress known as The Squad.
They have made their position on Israel abundantly clear over the years. Several of them boycotted Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress earlier this year.
Omar said on X on Monday that the humanity of both “innocent Palestinian civilians” and the “hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians and 9 Americans killed this weekend” should be honored equally.
“As the world condemns Hamas’ attacks, we must also oppose an Israeli military response that has already taken the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, including nearly two dozen children.”
She added: ‘The solution to this atrocity, as always, is a negotiated peace – with Israelis and Palestinians enjoying equal rights and security guarantees.
“Instead of continuing unconditional arms sales and military aid to Israel, I call on the United States to finally use its diplomatic power to promote peace,” said the Democrat, who has been accused of the past married her brother, added.
Gates McGavick, the communications director for the Republican National Committee, was also angered by Omar’s words.
In a series of posts on X, Omar called out the Israeli response to the attack
Rep. Mike Lawler fought back against the claims
Omar called for ‘international’ protection in Gaza after Palestinian terror group Hamas launched surprise multi-front attacks in Israel on Saturday
In a statement Rep. Rashida Tlaib refers to Israel as an ‘apartheid government’ which is responsible for the ‘suffering’ that the attacks have caused. This was followed by a similar statement from Rep. Corey Bush
“This is the literal definition of negotiating with terrorists,” he wrote.
It came to light on Monday that fellow team member, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, still displayed a Palestinian flag outside her House office after the weekend attacks.
The progressive Michigan Democrat failed to specifically condemn Hamas in her statement about the horrific violence that took place in Israel over the weekend, instead calling on the US government to stop funding Israel.
In all, eight progressive members of the Democratic caucus failed to support Israel against the existential threat it faces: Reps. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Greg Casar and Summer Lee all fell short over the weekend.
Also on Monday, liberal Democrat Ritchie Torres took aim at Tlaib as well as Rep. Cori Bush calling their comments on the bloody conflict ‘reprehensible and repulsive’.
Rep. In a statement, Tlaib referred to Israel as an ‘apartheid government’ which is responsible for the ‘suffering’ caused by the attacks. In the same statement, Tlaib referred to Hamas as the ‘resistance’. Both representatives called on the Biden administration to stop supporting Israel.
“I mourn the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today and every day. As always, I am determined to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights and human dignity.’
“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” Tlaib said in her statement.
Rep. Cori Bush later released a similar statement.
Meanwhile, Rep. Torres in a statement to the Jewish Insider struck a different chord compared to his other liberals. “US aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need. Congress must act decisively to provide Israel with everything it needs to defend itself against unprecedented terrorism.’
‘Shame on anyone who glorifies the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust as ‘resistance’. It is reprehensible and repulsive.’
Torres (35) was elected to represent New York’s 15th congressional district in 2020. In 2019, he called himself “the embodiment of a pro-Israel progressive.”