Press officer Bernie Sanders apologizes after asking questions about "allegiance" of American Jews to Israel



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"In a conversation on Facebook, I used a language that, in my opinion, was insensitive," said Belén Sisa, Sanders' new deputy spokesperson in charge of sensitizing the Latin populations, in a statement. "The problems of allegiance and loyalty to his country have a painful history, at a time when so many communities in our country feel attacked by the president and his allies, I am absolutely aware that we must deal with these problems with more attention and sensitivity, their historical resonance, and I am determined to do so in the future. "

As Politico reported Tuesday night, Sisa, as part of an exchange on Facebook about the controversial report of the Minnesota representative. Ilhan Omar, asked another speaker: "Do not you think that the American government and the American Jewish community have a dual allegiance to the State of Israel?" I ask not to exclude the history of this question, but in the context in which this was said by Ilhan. "

Sisa suppressed the comment after being approached by a Politico journalist, according to this newspaper.

Speaking at a roundtable held last month in Washington, Omar, a Democrat, discussed the brutal reaction of his use of what many have described as anti-Semitic tropes in his critics of the world. Israel and some pro-Israel American lobbyists.

"I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it's okay for people to lobby for allegiance to a foreign country," she said. His comments have struck many people, including some of his fellow Democrats, as anti-Semitic tropes, including this suggestion that Jews could have dual allegiance to their home country, to Israel or to another entity.

In his February commentary, the Democratic Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the New York House of Representatives, Eliot Engel, condemned Omar's comment in February.

"I welcome the debate in Congress based on the merit of politics, but it is unacceptable and deeply shocking to question the loyalty of its fellow Americans because of their political views, including support for the US-Israel relationship. "said Engel in a statement. .

It was not the first time that Omar had been criticized for blaming the fact that America 's most virulent American backers had been compromised in one way or another' s way. another by their support for the state, which provoked untimely struggles between democrats on how to react. The House finally passed a resolution last week, with only a few dissident republicans, condemning "hateful expressions of intolerance" against Jews, Muslims and other minorities.

Omar, in the few weeks that she has been confronted with several statements, has apologized and defended herself.

"When I talk about places like Saudi Arabia or Israel, or even now with Venezuela, I do not criticize the people," Omar said during a recent appearance in "The Daily Show" with Trevor Noah "from Comedy Central.

But she also continued to use controversial rhetoric in her talks on Israel, US foreign policy and lobbying.

Omar is one of the first two women members of the Muslim House, alongside Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, and has been the target of racist and Islamophobic attacks. The Republicans insisted that she be removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but Engel did not ask Democratic leaders to take this step.

Sanders, who is Jewish, defended Omar in a statement last week.

"Anti-Semitism is a hateful and dangerous ideology that must be vigorously fought in the United States and around the world, but we must not equate anti-Semitism with a legitimate criticism of the right-wing Netanyahu government in Israel" Vermont independent said. "What I'm afraid to do in the House now is an effort to target MP Omar as a way to stifle this debate."

Meaning. Kamala Harris of California and Massachusetts's Elizabeth Warren also expressed similar concerns, with Harris expressing concern that the spotlight placed on (Omar) could put her in danger.

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