Touting the power of her district’s massive radical pro-Palestinian “uncommitted” movement, which urges voters to reject Democrats who do not back anti-Israel policies, Minnesota “squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar is calling for a “policy shift” on Israel and Gaza amid her fears of another Trump presidency, warning Vice President Kamala Harris that refusal to capitulate to the movement could cost Democrats the election.
In remarks made outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Wednesday, Omar called for a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy regarding Gaza.
“In our country, we tell people to utilize their vote as their voice, and I am proud of my constituents who’ve utilized their voice to call for a change in our foreign policy,” she stated, as she slammed the supposed “genocide” in Gaza, as well as the U.S. administration for supplying weapons to Israel.
Speaking alongside the “uncommitted” movement, she acknowledged the 32 percent of uncommitted voters in her district — the highest of any — attributing their stance to a desire for change in how the U.S. handles the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
She went on to express her deep frustration with the Biden-Harris administration and its failed efforts toward a ceasefire between Israel and the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas.
“It’s been unconscionable for me in the last ten months to witness my colleagues in this administration refusing to recognize the genocidal war that is taking place in Gaza,” she said, claiming that “if you really wanted a ceasefire, you just stop sending the weapons — it’s that simple.”
Accusing the U.S. government of “hypocrisy” over its rhetoric on human rights in the face of its actions in supporting the Jewish State’s military operations, Omar stated, “We are the most powerful nation supplying billions of dollars to a country that is waging genocide against people who have been occupied, who have faced apartheid, who have been displaced.”
She also attacked the efforts of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has repeatedly traveled to the region in pursuit of a ceasefire.
“How do we allow our Secretary of State to go into Israel, say we are close to securing a ceasefire … only for [Israeli Prime Minister] Bibi Netanyahu to have a press conference … and say, ‘we are not taking a deal that ends this war,’” Omar remarked, ignoring Hamas’s repeated rejections of ceasefire proposals.
The congresswoman then praised the “incredible leaders” who “stood up to cast their ballot to make their voices heard as uncommitted voters,” as well as “squad” Reps. Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib for advocating for the Palestinian cause.
Omar urged Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to reconsider the administration’s policies toward the Jewish State, warning that failure to do so could jeopardize the Democratic Party’s chances in the upcoming 2024 election.
“I beg and plead with Vice President Harris to not lose our democracy by not changing her policy towards Israel and Gaza,” she said.
She then expressed her fears of another Trump presidency, recalling when “our families lived with fear every single day for four years.”
Omar concluded her speech by noting, “we are all ready to work every single day until November 5 to secure a win against Donald Trump,” but that it will necessitate a “policy shift” that resonates with “uncommitted” voters.
Early this month, the “uncommitted” movement, which urges voters to withhold support from any Democratic presidential candidate unless they back anti-Israel policies, celebrated Kamala Harris’s vice presidential candidate pick Tim Walz as its leaders called for a complete arms embargo on the Jewish state.
Leaders of the “uncommitted” movement, which is led by anti-Israel activists, have insisted they are to be credited for having sidelined President Joe Biden in favor of Kamala Harris as well as the vice president’s boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional address last month.
The movement, which aims to reshape U.S. policy on Israel, has achieved significant wins, including 19 percent uncommitted votes in Minnesota’s Democratic primary, sending 11 delegates from just the North Star State to the Democratic National Convention.
According to a Jerusalem Post report from Wednesday, the movement has strong ties to fellow “squad” member Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s family, friends, and political allies.
Omar, a member of the progressive “squad” in Congress whose district in Minnesota has a significant portion of uncommitted voters has a history of controversy.
She has been accused repeatedly of being antisemitic and anti-American, including in past statements, accusing Israel of being an “apartheid regime” that has “hypnotized the world” and claiming pro-Israel stances of politicians are “all about the Benjamins.”
She has also referred to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, as a day in which “some people did something.”
In February 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reiterated why Omar is “unfit” to represent the U.S. on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) also blasted the congresswoman after she equated the United States and Israel to Hamas terrorists and the Taliban.
“Omar is an antisemite who hates America and hates American troops,” he said. “She has no place serving in Congress.”
In 2019, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) defended Omar, telling reporters that while Omar had made several anti-Jewish remarks, she had not been “intentionally antisemitic.”
In 2023, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) accused Omar of hating America “as much as Israel.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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