By H. Applebaum
SAN DIEGO — On May 9, 2019, Imam Omar Suleiman gave the invocation at the House of Representatives. He was invited to speak by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, (D. Texas.) This is the man who called Jews “brothers of apes and pigs.”
Our own congresswoman, Representative Susan Davis, who happens to be Jewish, as of today, almost a week later, raised no objections to Suleiman. Coming just a few days after the Poway synagogue shooting, in whose aftermath, every politician vowed to fight anti-Semitism, her silence is unacceptable.
Representative Lee Zeldin, (R, New York,) objected to the invitation, saying:
“Totally unacceptable that Nancy Pelosi had Omar Suleiman give the opening prayer yesterday in the House. He compares Israel to the Nazis & calls them terrorists, supports Muslim Brotherhood, incites violence, calling for a Palestinian intifada & the end of Zionism.”
Zeldin’s objections were met with the usual claim of “Islamophobia” by organizations like C.A.I.R. Pelosi, now, almost a week later, has yet to condemn the imam, and nobody has even criticized Representative Johnson for having nominated him in the first place. She should have known better.
When the 2014 war in Gaza broke out, Suleiman wrote: “God willing on this blessed night as the 3rd Intifada begins, the beginning of the end of Zionism is here. May Allah help us overcome this monster.” Yet, not one Democrat publicly objected to someone with these abhorrent views being honored by Congress
The attitude of the Democrats is consistent with their outrageous silence about the hundreds of rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip last week. Every Democratic frontrunner – former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg – remained silent about the attacks.
The Democratic Party has traditionally supported its Jewish constituency by fighting anti-Semitism and standing with Israel. Given this ominous trend, will Jews continue to support the Democratic Party?
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Applebaum is a freelance writer based in San Diego.