Muslim congresswoman, Israel critic Ilhan Omar, removed from House committee

Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday. 

House Resolution 76 narrowly passed with 218 yay votes to 211 nays. The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Congressman Max Miller, R-Ohio. The vote was split down party lines, with Republicans voting for the resolution and Democrats voting against it.

Why it matters: Omar was elected to Congress in 2018. Her tenure on the influential committee began in 2019 and was marked by controversy throughout due to her statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2019, she tweeted “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby” in reference to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). 

Jewish groups accused Omar of invoking anti-semitic tropes on Jewish money and domination in the tweet. Omar subsequently apologized. On Tuesday, she said she had not been aware of the stereotype at the time. 

Miller mentioned the tweet in the resolution. 

In 2021, Omar seemingly compared Israel and the United States to Hamas and the Taliban when speaking to Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting. 

“We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the US, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban,” she said. 

Some of Omar’s colleagues criticized the remarks, accusing her of equating the United States and Israel to terrorists. 

Not everyone is against Omar. Some of Omar’s colleagues have said she receives disproportionate criticism for her remarks. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted in 2021 that Omar is subject to “constant vilification.” 

Omar also has support from pro-Palestine organizations such as those affiliated with the anti-Israel boycott “BDS” movement.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed support for Omar staying on the committee in the days leading up to her removal. 

“She’s been very active and brings a lot of thought to the committee,” Meeks told CBS on Wednesday. 

In a statement following her removal on Thursday, Meeks called Omar an “invaluable asset” to the committee and accused Republicans of exacting “revenge on their political opponents.” 

Many Republicans rejoiced as Omar was voted off the committee. 

BREAKING: After years of unapologetic antisemitism and a startling lack of judgment on foreign policy, Democrat Ilhan Omar has been removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Every Democrat opposed it. pic.twitter.com/v3MwKXHHNE

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 2, 2023

Omar faced a pro-Israel primary challenger in 2022, but she won re-election that year and again in 2022.

Know more: Omar was born in Somalia and immigrated to the United States when she was a pre-teen. She and Rep. Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women to serve in Congress in 2019. 

Omar, Tlaib, Cortez and a few others are members of the self-dubbed “squad” group of congresspeople. The squad is known for its progressive politics as well as its support for the Palestinians.