Ilhan Omar's reputation for anti-Israel attacks and antisemitism dates back to
2019, when she made her famous
accusations that defenders of Israel were guilty of dual loyalty. In her latest controversial comments, just last month
Omar compared the US and Israel with the Taliban and Hamas, with accusations
of "unthinkable atrocities."
Those latest comments created an unexpected pushback that led to
Omar's supposed "clarification" of her remarks.
There are, though, some instances when Omar's criticism of foreign
countries are not controversial at all.
In November 2019,
Ilhan Omar condemned the Chinese government for the "ethnic cleansing of
Uighurs:"
And Omar did not stop there.
According to the text of that letter:
The treatment of Uyghur and other Muslim people by the Chinese government –
which the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum has determined
may amount to crimes against humanity – has drawn fierce and sustained bipartisan condemnation. That
American companies would be using forced Uyghur labor, intentionally or
unintentionally, is profoundly disturbing.
...Among the acts that
comprise crimes against humanity,
Uyghurs have been allegedly subjected to enslavement, arbitrary
detention, torture, enforced disappearance, and persecution against a
collective group of people.
Put simply, it is our strong belief that nobody should be profiting from
these conditions. [emphasis added]
As you are well aware,
American companies represent this country in your business abroad. It is
essential that your values are in line with the basic principles of human
rights.
She asks that those companies ensure that Uyghur slave labor is not used in
the manufacture of their products.
Good for her!
Too bad she did an about-face
While in November 2019, Omar tweeted:
We must hold officials responsible for this fully accountable
And in February 2021 she tweeted:
Yes,
politics and relationships shouldn't stop us from the pursuit of
justice...Now is the time for full accountablility and justice. [emphasis added]
“We need to distinguish between justified criticisms of the Chinese
government’s human rights record and a Cold War mentality that uses China as
a scapegoat for our own domestic problems and demonizes Chinese Americans,”
said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of a group of lawmakers
pressing Biden and congressional leaders to take a more cooperative
approach to relations with Beijing. [emphasis added]
What accounts for Omar's about-face?
In the article, Politico notes the concern that progressives have that in
its eagerness for justice, the US attitude towards China's ethnic cleansing
of Uyghurs may endanger the battle against...climate change.
According to Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.):
We won't be able to solve the challenges of the 21st century like the
climate crisis and global health unless we have relationships that harness
partnerships across the globe, including China.
Bowman is not alone. In May, Bowman and Omar were among "more 60 activist
groups and at least four prominent lawmakers [who] are stepping up their
criticisms as the Senate pushes through this week a package of anti-China
bills that enjoy backing from members of both parties and the White House."
Over 40 progressive groups sent a
letter
to President Joe Biden and lawmakers on Wednesday urging them to prioritize
cooperation with China on climate change and
curb its confrontational approach over issues like Beijing’s crackdown on
Hong Kong and forced detention of Uyghur Muslims. [emphasis added]
...While we are encouraged by stated commitments from the United States
and China to work together and with other countries to enact urgent
climate policies, we are deeply troubled by the growing Cold War mentality
driving the United States' approach to China — an antagonistic posture
that risks undermining much-needed climate cooperation.
We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Biden administration and
all members of Congress to eschew the dominant antagonistic approach to
U.S.-China relations and instead
prioritize multilateralism, diplomacy, and cooperation with China to
address the existential threat that is the climate crisis. [emphasis added]
Where is that going to leave Omar, who has publicly accused the Chinese
government of the ethnic cleansing, enslavement, torture, rape, forced
sterilization and mass detention of Uyghurs?
In particular, the Biden administration has prioritized boxing products
with ties to forced labor out of U.S. markets. On Friday, the U.S. added 14 Chinese entities to its economic blacklist that are believed to
be complicit in human rights abuses and forced labor in China’s Xinjiang
region. The blacklist means American firms will have to obtain clearance
from the U.S. government before doing business with those companies.
Will Ilhan Omar come out publicly in support of Biden's BDS-style measures
against Chinese persecution of Uyghurs?
Omar claimed that one of her concerns was a mentality that "demonizes
Chinese Americans."
Can we expect her to show a new concern not to add to a mentality that
demonizes Jewish Americans?
Or is all of this just another round in the game of politics -- where both
Chinese Uyghurs and American Jews get thrown under the bus?
Tuesday, May 02, 2023
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