Ilhan Omar compares the boycott of Israel to boycott of Nazis and USSR

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Waiting for an actual news source, instead of tabloids known for pushing right-wing propaganda.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I had to dig a bit, but I think this is what the right is using as their most-recent excuse to be upset over a dark-skinned female Muslim in Congress this time:

Rep. Ilhan Omar introduces resolution affirming boycotts as protected free speech

Rep. Ilhan Omar drew praise for introducing a resolution on Wednesday affirming the use of boycotts as constitutionally protected free speech and a tactic for effecting social change.

Co-sponsored by Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and John Lewis, D-Ga., HR 496 says that "governments and nongovernmental organizations alike have sought to criminalize, stigmatize, and delegitimize the use of boycotts in an attempt to stifle constitutionally protected political expression."

Lewis' co-sponsorship of the new HR.496, CodePink said in its email, is one "of the most incredible aspects of this resolution." The group noted that he's "a long-time civil rights leader and 32-year-long congressmember known for his strong support for Israel."

As such, the group said, having Lewis as part of the resolution making clear the right to engage in political boycotts "sends a clear and direct statement that the right to boycott must be protected, regardless of one's position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is a game-changer!"

I'm not sure why the right-wing is so bent out of shape over this - it protects their right to boycott gay wedding-cake bakers, companies that provide reproductive health care to their employees, or anyone who advertises via the arch-traitors at Google. It seems to be a bill that, were it to become law, would level the playing field... oh, yeah, right-wingers hate level playing fields. Nevermind - keep on with your hate for freedom, Republicans. (Or, you know, stop. But I won't be holding my breath.)

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

The unfortunate reality is that (always invalid) Nazi Germany comparisons are extremely common in American politics. Donald Rumsfeld invoked it to justify war with Iraq, and it is used all the time by politicians and commentators on all sides of the political spectrum. I wish it would end. But since this is Omar, it'll be treated as a bigger scandal than if someone else said it about some other country.

Even comparing Israel to Suddam Hussain Iraq is terrible because Hussain's Iraq was obviously much much worse .

Also : http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/baath.html



And lastly wasn’t the Ba’ath party full name the Arab National Socialist Party , so the comparison did make more sense. The main difference was was Iraq didn’t have the ability in 2003 to be a threat to peace as the Germans did 

Your first point is dead on correct. Sadly, your second one is flat out incorrect. Hussein was an absolute murderous dictator bastard who deserved his grisly end. As did his sons. However, the Socialist part of the Arab National Socialist Party has about as much to do with socialism as the Nazis official party name having the word socialist in it.

I’m not saying it has anything to do with socialism I’m just comparing how similar the name of the Ba’ath party was to the Nazis

Not sure of your point here....?

My point is why the comparison with Suddam Hussein Iraq with Nazi Germany made some sense even if the Bush Admin overstated that comparison by leaving out some key factors of why Iraq in the early 2000s wasn’t equivalent to the Nazis


On the other hand their is no comparison what so ever between Israel and the Nazis and stating so is I would say anti Semitic

You're getting played by the news you're reading.

Here's how FOX News presented it:

“Americans of conscience have a proud history of participating in boycotts to advocate for human rights abroad including ... boycotting Nazi Germany from March 1933 to October 1941 in response to the dehumanization of the Jewish people in the lead-up to the Holocaust,” Omar said in the resolution introduced Tuesday.

Here's is the resolution's full text:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/496/text

116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 496

Affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 16, 2019
Ms. Omar (for herself, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Lewis) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


Affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Whereas boycotts have been effectively used in the United States by advocates for equal rights since the Boston Tea Party and include boycotts led by civil rights activists during the 1950s and 1960s in order to advocate for racial equality, such as the Montgomery bus boycott, and promote workers’ rights, such as the United Farm Workers-led boycott of table grapes;

Whereas Americans of conscience have a proud history of participating in boycotts to advocate for human rights abroad, including—

(1) attempting to slow Japanese aggression in the Pacific by boycotting Imperial Japan in 1937 and 1938;

(2) boycotting Nazi Germany from March 1933 to October 1941 in response to the dehumanization of the Jewish people in the lead-up to the Holocaust;

(3) the United States Olympic Committee boycotting the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the preceding year; and

(4) leading the campaign in the 1980s to boycott South African goods in opposition to apartheid in that country;

Whereas the Supreme Court, in the 1966 case Rosenblatt v. Baer, held that the First Amendment to the Constitution ensures that “[c]riticism of government is at the very center of the constitutionally protected area of free discussion”;

Whereas the Supreme Court held in the 1982 case NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware that “[t]he right of the States to regulate economic activity could not justify a complete prohibition against a nonviolent, politically motivated boycott … .”;

Whereas the Supreme Court has recognized various activities as “expressive conduct” warranting constitutional protection, such as flag burning, wearing black armbands, silent sit-ins, and creating and designing custom wedding cakes; and

Whereas despite this tradition, governments and nongovernmental organizations alike have sought to criminalize, stigmatize, and delegitimize the use of boycotts in an attempt to stifle constitutionally protected political expression: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) affirms that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution;

(2) opposes unconstitutional legislative efforts to limit the use of boycotts to further civil rights at home and abroad; and

(3) urges Congress, States, and civil rights leaders from all communities to endeavor to preserve the freedom of advocacy for all by opposing antiboycott resolutions and legislation.

I'm not going to snark. Just read it and then look back at the Fox News article and then read the resolution again.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

The text of the resolution is largely irrelevant. The comparison was the point. Remember, in this "Punch Nazis" era, comparing something to Nazis isn't random hyperbole. It's a direct threat. If Israel is the new Nazis, then Israel supporters are Nazi supporters. Thus, attacking a random Jew in the streets is now antifascism.

"The comparison" of Israel to Nazi Germany by Rep. Omar does not exist.


If she she did, and your alleged comparison does exist then provide a link to it in full.


But you're not going to, because  you are lying, or repeating the lies of right-wing propaganda.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Can we get a mod to correct the title of this thread now that we know it's quasi-#FakeNews?

Its not fake news at all

(OSR then proceeds to not elaborate or provide a URL or ANYTHING else)

The quote is in the link I gave . It wasnt some interperation , it was her quote

If you're speaking about your links to the tabloids Fox News and the Washington Examiner,  there is no direct comparison from Rep. Omar that compares Israel or its current government to Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union in either piece.

Both the Examiner and the ever-ironically-named FoxNews  clearly want you to take that interpretation away from their respective stories, stories that are so similar it seems obvious they are propaganda from the same source. But they quote no such statement, nor does one appear to exist.

Representative Omar...

First, speaks positively of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement in her introduction to the resolution, including comparing them to the Boston Tea Party.

Secondly, the resolution she introduced has a run down of boycotts in and by the United States, including: the Boston Tea Party, civil rights boycotts such as the Montgomery bus boycott, the UFW-led boycott of table grapes, and the boycotts of Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, the 1980 summer Olympics, and South Africa. The resolution does not mention Israel.

Fox News, the Examiner, and every other site I've found pushing the story then take the identical section of HR 496  butcher it to only include the mention of Nazi Germany and ignore all context, present it as a quote rather than resolution text, and move on with their attack pieces.

The comparison you and other posters are saying she made publicly  - equating Israel directly with Nazi Germany and/or Soviet Russia - does not exist. (If you want to get bent of out shape that she's has indirectly compared Netanyahu's government with that of Lord North via comparing BDS to the Sons of Liberty, go right ahead, but you and I both know that will not have anything like the impact of the current false propaganda you are - for whatever reason -  trying to help spread.)

You've become committed to a false narrative, and you're digging yourself a hole. As Badger pointed out, there's plenty of room to legitimately criticize Omar for her stance on Israel without this.

Edited to add a note clarifying that HR 496 does not mention Israel.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Please, someone, change the headline.

No, it's literally correct. The Nazi comparison is in the resolution she put forward.

She does not "compare them". She just uses Germany as one of several examples of previous boycotts.

Then she did indeed make the comparison

That comparison exists only in your head.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Citing boycotts of the USSR and Nazi Germany to justify a boycott of Israel only makes sense if you think those countries are all comparable to each other, which they aren't. Chalk it up as another stupid comment from Omar.

Given that Omar did not do that, she isn't the one who made a stupid comment here.