Alabama Republicans are urging lawmakers to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from Congress for “engaging in rhetoric that explicitly runs counter to American values and patriotism by falsely accusing U.S. armed forces of committing war crimes while on a mission to liberate her home country of Somalia,” Fox News reported on Wednesday.
The state GOP, according to the report, passed a resolution last weekend at the party’s summer meeting in Auburn calling on its congressional delegation to “proceed with the expulsion process” against the first-term congresswoman.
The resolution also said Omar “dismissed the 9/11 terror attacks waged by radical Islam” and “sympathized with a convicted terrorist” by advocating for “sentencing leniency.”
State Rep. Tommy Hanes introduced the resolution, which was approved on a voice vote. One Republican opposed it, according to The Alabama Political Reporter.
Hanes told Fox News that Omar’s actions “have proved her to be sympathetic to radical Islam,” saying her race and religion were irrelevant.
“Rep. Omar is ungrateful to the United States and the opportunities that have been afforded to her,” said Hanes. “Anyone that holds contempt for America ought not to serve this great nation as a member of Congress.”
In response, Omar tweeted that she was “elected with 78% of the vote by the people of Minnesota’s 5th District, not by the Alabama Republican Party” and referenced Roy Moore, whose 2017 Senate bid was derailed following multiple allegations that he had engaged in romantic relationships with underage girls while in his 30’s.
“If you want to clean up politics, maybe don’t nominate an accused child molester as your Senate candidate?” she wrote.
Omar has faced criticism from both political parties over several recent remarks, particularly about Israel and American-Israeli ties.
Alabama Republicans cited “a disturbing record of using anti-Semitic language that includes alleging Jewish money is used to buy American influence regarding its policy toward Israel.”
The resolution also mentioned Omar’s support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement that has aimed to put economic pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
Earlier this month, Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) were barred from entering Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his decision not to allow the two representatives into the country, saying that while he respected the U.S. Congress, advocating boycotts against Israel was a step too far.
“There is only one exception: the exception is the BDS law that requires us to check the entrance of supporters of BDS,” he told reporters.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
