Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) told reporters that it was “beneath” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to condemn the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in her AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) Policy Conference speech on March 26.
Pelosi said that Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) recently proposed a resolution stating that the BDS movement “does not recognize the right of Jewish people to national self-determination.”
“The resolution goes on to recognize that BDS movement does not favor a two-state solution and undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Pelosi said. “I join my colleagues in reaffirming the House’s strong support for a solution consisting of two states, a democratic Jewish state of Israel and a viable democratic Palestinian state, living side by side in peace, security, and mutual recognition.”
Pelosi also said that “we should welcome legitimate debate on how best to honor our values and to advance our priorities without questioning loyalty or patriotism,” an apparent reference to Omar’s use of the dual loyalty trope in February. The speaker went onto tout the resolution passed by the House earlier in the month, which did not condemn Omar by name.
When asked by reporters about Pelosi’s remarks, Omar replied, “A condemnation for people that want to exercise their First Amendment rights is beneath any leader, and I hope that we find a better use of language when we are trying to speak as members of Congress that are sworn to protect the Constitution.”
Omar stated her opposition to the BDS movement during the election and then came out in favor of the movement after she won.
Pelosi’s office did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.
