As is well known, Israel is a multi-ethnic state, where Arab citizens have equal civil, religious, and political rights as Jews. This has not stopped others from accusing Israel of practicing “apartheid.” Israeli spokesmen then point out that in Israel, Arabs serve in the Knesset, sit on the Supreme Court, go abroad as diplomats for their country, and even, if they wish – though they are not required to – can serve in the IDF. Israeli Arabs study with Jews in universities, work alongside Jews in offices and factories, play on orchestras and sports teams with Jews.
None of this evidence has prevented Israel’s detractors from continuing to harp on that “apartheid” theme. And among those detractors, congressional pride of place must be given to Ilhan Omar, the Somali-American congresswoman, who not only continues to describe Israel as an “apartheid” state but now has a new charge: Israel, she claims, is guilty of “ethnic cleansing.”
In her first speech since being re-elected, Ilhan Omar did not choose to address economic insecurity, rising unemployment, the coronavirus epidemic. None of those. Her subject was, as it so often is, perfidious Israel.
In that speech she accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing.” Her denunciation is here: “Newly-Reelected Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Accuses Israel of ‘Ethnic Cleansing,’” Algemeiner, November 6, 2020:
Newly-reelected Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” following the demolition earlier this week of illegal structures in a West Bank Bedouin community.
Referring to the events in Khirbet Humsa, which is located in the Jordan Valley, Omar — known for her vehement anti-Israel views and repeated use of rhetoric widely viewed as antisemitic — charged, via Twitter, on Thursday, “This a grave crime — in direct violation of international law. If they used any US equipment it also violates US law. An entire community is now homeless and will likely experience lifelong trauma. The United States of America should not be bankrolling ethnic cleansing. Anywhere.”
According to Israel‘s military liaison agency with the Palestinians, COGAT, an “enforcement activity” was carried out by Israeli forces on Tuesday “against 7 tents and 8 pens which were illegally constructed, in a firing range located in the Jordan Valley.”
“The enforcement was carried out in accordance with the authorities and procedures, and subject to operational considerations,” it added.
Israel does not practice “ethnic cleansing.” There are 1.8 million Israeli Arabs who live in Israel proper; they are not being harried, persecuted, forced to move out of the country. There are another 2.8 million Palestinian Arabs living in the West who are not being moved out of their homes, or the area, as part of any kind of “ethnic cleansing.” A few Palestinians — fewer than one in two thousand — in the West Bank have been made to move when they have built illegal structures, that is, structures for which they did not have a permit to build, that were then taken down. From 2006 until 31 August 2018, Israel demolished 1,360 Palestinian homes in the West Bank that had been built illegally, that is, without the proper permits. During that 12-year period, that works out to about 110 Palestinian homes being demolished each year. And their Palestinian inhabitants were not being “ethnically cleansed,” but simply were not being allowed to violate the law by building without the necessary permits. They were not being forced out of the country, and were free to apply for permits for building elsewhere. Jews who build without the proper permits also have had their illegal homes demolished, as at the settlement outpost of Kumi Ori, described here. Every government in the Western world requires that permits be obtained from the government by those wishing to build; why should Israel’s enforcement of that requirement be considered uniquely unacceptable?
At Khirbet Humsa, Bedouins had set up an encampment of seven tents, and eight animal pens, on land in the Jordan Valley that they did not own, and inside territory that is used by the IDF as a place for live-fire training. For years Israel has been trying to get them to move off the land to which they have no legal claim. The Bedouins availed themselves fully of Israel’s legal system, helped by left-wing Israeli lawyers. Finally, after many appeals, Israel’s High Court ruled against the Bedouin, citing their failure to have legal title to the land on which they had been living. There was also the danger to the Bedouins themselves of remaining in a live-fire zone of the IDF.
The Bedouin at Khirbet Humsa had been on notice for years that, if they lost their court case, they would have to move. But they made no plans for such an eventuality, nor did they avail themselves of the help the Israeli government offered in finding an alternative place, outside a danger zone, where they could be granted permits to pitch their seven tents.
Note that Ilhan Omar, in denouncing the demolition at Khirbet Humsa, never mentioned that the Bedouins had no legal title to the land at Khirbet Humsa. And when she claims that this “community is now homeless and will likely experience lifelong trauma,” she forgets two things. The “community” she speaks of – all of seven tents and their inhabitants – is not likely to remain “homeless” very long. Doesn’t Omar know that the Israeli government will help those Bedouins find another place on which to pitch – legally — their seven tents? And the Bedouin are unlikely to “experience lifelong trauma” from such a move; they are the quintessential nomadic people, shepherds whose livestock ordinarily require seasonal transhumance.
Nor did Ilhan Omar note that the Israelis, while flattening the tents, did not rip them to shreds, so that at least some might be reused, and that the Bedouins’ belongings were left largely intact. Nor did she mention that the Bedouins had made full use of Israel’s legal system to present their case all the way up to the High Court. In Ilhan Omar’s telling, one might think the Israelis had simply appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to ruthlessly raze to the ground, for no apparent reason, a Bedouin “village” built on land that the inhabitants had owned for generations.
There is no “ethnic cleansing” anywhere of Arabs in Israel or in the West Bank. But there has already been “ethnic cleansing” of a different sort in Gaza, where every last Jew was forced to leave in 2005. And if the Palestinians ever get their state in the West Bank, they have made it clear that there will be more “ethnic cleansing,” for no Jews will be welcome in that future state. Meanwhile, there is not now, and will not be in the future, any retaliatory “ethnic cleansing” of Arabs by Israelis. Israeli Arabs know perfectly well that they will continue to study, work, and play, side by side with Jews, and to enjoy equal rights with them.
Ilhan Omar ended by declaring that “the United States of America should not be bankrolling ethnic cleansing. Anywhere.” I take it, then, that Omar believes the U.S. should make sure none of its aid ever goes either to Gaza, which has banned Jews, or to a future Palestinian state that intends to make itself Judenrein. But I’d like to hear it from the horse’s mouth. Perhaps an inquiring reporter could ask that very question of Ilhan Omar (D-Mogadishu) at her next public appearance.
Brando says
What an Obsession with the State of Israel, the so-called Palestinians still exist, Few were Killed in Any of Israel’s Wars.PLUS,
25% of its population is NON-JEWISH and has the same treatment as the Jews.
They are ARABS and ETHNIC RUSSIANS( married to Jewish men or women),plus the Russian relatives of those couples.
No doubt she will also try use WHITE GUILT: YOU guys are guilty of the WORST colonialism,imperialisme,genocides. YOU guys commited Genocide in the American Continent
DID SPANIARDS COMMIT A GENOCIDE IN THE 16 TH CENTURY?
1.The history books say: From 1492-1570, 90% of Amerindians in the continent died.
2.That would be 90 MILLION, if the 100 million estimate is correct. Whatever the estimate,the PERCENTAGE is always the SAME: 90%.
THE NUMBER OF SPANIARDS INVOLVED
Careful records were kept,so we know the exact number: some 25,000 Spaniards (1492-1570),of which:
25% were WOMEN.
And the Average Age was: EARLY 20s.
We also know that in the CONQUERING expeditions:70% were KILLED. Assuming all the 20,000 MEN were in battle, ONLY…….6,000 SURVIVED.
THE REASON WHY SO MANY AMERINDIANS DIED
Some were killed in wars and massacres by Spaniards,but the Vast Majority:
died of SMALLPOX, POLIO and MEASLES,to which they had NO Immunity.
gravenimage says
Most native Amereicans died from old world diseases, and not from violence.
Susan says
The ONLY problem with Omar is her genocidal Islamic Supremacist lies! She and her hateful ilk needs to be held ACCOUNTABLE!
mortimer says
Psychological projection: is the technique of defending oneself against the accusation of having unpleasant, immature or neurotic impulses by denying their existence in oneself, while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is rude may accuse other people of being rude.
Mark L says
being from MN myself – where Ms Omar is from – I can speak somewhat to the impact the Somali immigrants have had on our state. For the most part, and especially early on, These folks came here where they were segregated- the single men being sent into some areas (our little town of 9,00 for one) and married folks and single women to larger areas such as the metro. Their attempts to assimilate was sporadic at best, and non existent in some areas, at worst. (police records for these areas can verify this) For the most part, the Somali’s have settled in a small area of downtown Minneapolis. The voting record for the 2020 election shows a extremely high percentage of Democrat votes, as well as there being available video evidence (by VERITAS) of “ballot harvesting”, votes being paid for, and ballots being distributed door to door by paid for carriers. There is also folks instructing others “how” to vote. All of this is considered illegal as I understand it. Ms Omar is NOT a representative of MN – she only represents a very small area but densely populated area of the metro. The metro controls MN vote outcomes as in other states with large cities – hence the “blue state” syndrome prevails here, and this is one reason for it.
Howard Amonick says
Sir, here’s a question for you. Since she is an elected official from a portion of Minnesota who according to the article above is constantly attacking Israel, aren’t her constituents, at any point going to say, “hey, wait a minute, we elected you to represent us and our needs and interests, how about you start talking about us and what we want”?
Uma says
Looks she is very popular and USA gives lot of importance to this woman.
gravenimage says
It’s mostly that she is extremely loud-mouthed.
Most junior Congresspeople keep a low profile for their first couple of terms, beacuse they know they are learning the ropes. Not her…
Infidel says
Nor AOC. Her winning her primary and the election was one thing, but what surprised me was how quickly she became a ‘thought leader’ among the Dems! Especially given how dumb she really is: in an interview w/ Bret Baier, she once described the long lines outside polling stations that turn off voters as ‘voter suppression’, and on another occasion, was excited that back home, her plants had grown while she was away! (She obviously never learnt Botany in school)
gravenimage says
True, Infidel–the whole of the “Squad” is like this–some even worse than others.
Eric S. says
My favorite comment on the motivation of Ilhan Omar, as told by a knowledgeable Muslim in Dinesh D’Souza’s latest movie: Ilhan Omar is “…a threat to National Security, ISIS with lipstick”. Enough said!
Infidel says
If Ilhan and Rashida are interested in opposing the ethnic cleansing of Muslims, where are their official statements on China’s policy on the Uyghurs? I don’t recall reading anything from either of them on the topic
In fact, when any entity is accused by the likes of Erdogan, Imran Khan or anyone else of ‘islamophobia’, quick litmus test can be done on what they have said or done about the Uyghurs. If they’ve been on Beijing’s side of this debate, their accusations deserve to be dismissed w/ contempt!
The Istanbulian says
Let’s build a tent city in her yard see who gets ethnically cleansed.
Why is she quiet about the kurds?
Wellington says
OK, here’s a query in the abstract: Omar can reimagine and succeed in forming America into what her vision of America should be—how does this protect what America stands for and what true liberty stands for?
I confess readily I despise this woman. She is the quintessential enemy within.
gravenimage says
Ilhan Omar Accuses Israel of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’
…………………
Just grotesque calumny.
Jayell says
Well, people like Omar think they can recognise ethnic cleansing easily because they do it all the time’ back home’, but they don’t recognise it in themselves because it just comes naturally to them. It’s usually known as a psychotic delusion, and another symptom of this particular disorder is the curious delusion that a fraudulent Dark Age criminal on the Arabian peninsula was some sort of perfect ‘Prophet’ – and it’s all downhill from there..
gravenimage says
Yes–this is projection.
Bikinis not Burkas says
I get it now, Israelis are getting on buses with suicide vests and committing genocide of their own, makes you wonder about the idiocy of some people?
unbeliever1 says
There is a saying,”If you sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas.” I can’t wait for Biden’s presidency to see how he is going to repay BLM and other “progressive” groups for their support in the election.
BLM is already knocking at his door, and you can bet that Omar,the Squad will be trying to get some of their (BLM’s) demands acknowledged.’This is going to be very interesting,’ as Arte Johnson of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.
BLM demands Democrats pass bill to abolish prisons
https://www.worldtribune.com/blm-demands-democrats-pass-bill-to-abolish-prisons/
gravenimage says
Yes–they also calling to defund the police nation-wide.
“Black Lives Matter Activist: Abolishing The Police ‘100%’ Means Just That”
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/07/17/black-lives-matter-activist
Just insanity.