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“Rep. Ilhan Omar Exposes US Double Standard on Netanyahu: ‘Doesn’t Add Up!’

Recently, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the Democratic representative for Minnesota, engaged in criticism of United States policy towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. In a series of tweets this week, Omar noted a “great deal of hypocrisy” among those who criticize her for her anti-Semitic comments while carrying out policies that she believes are “encouraging terrorism.” In particular, she denounced the U.S. decision to give a ‘blank check’ to Netanyahu and his government, despite evidence of their inaction to protect the Palestinian people. Omar argued that Washington’s failure to hold Israel accountable for its human rights abuses has enabled Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue with his policies that deny the Palestinians basic rights and privileges. She further emphasized that Washington’s decision to give its full support to Netanyahu despite evidence of war crimes committed by his government does not add up. Omar’s comments come at a time when the Biden administration is reviewing its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The administration has taken steps to increase aid to the Palestinians and re-engage with the United Nations Human Rights Council, signaling a different tone from the prior administration. This is not the first time that Omar has raised questions about the United States policy towards Israel. Last year, she was one of the congressional representatives who voted against a bill that provided $38 billion in security assistance to Israel. In her remarks, Omar noted that she could not “in good conscience” support a policy that she believes is prejudicial towards the Palestinians. It is clear that Omar is highly critical of United States policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, unlike other congresspersons, has not been afraid to speak out against such policies. Her comments this week on the hypocrisy of providing a ‘blank check’ to Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government further solidifies her stance on the issue. It remains to be seen whether or not the Biden administration will take Omar’s words into consideration when it comes to changing and assessing its policies towards the Middle East. In the meantime, Omar’s remarks serve as an important reminder that the United States needs to make its position clear on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to ensure a peaceful solution to the long-standing conflict.