Welcome back to the show.
I have to congratulate J.Lo and A-Rod on their engagement.
Jenny, don't worry about the invitation.
I'll just RSVP right now.
I'm a strong might attend.
I'll be bringing a plus three.
And I shall be wearing this.
Oh, no.
I got a runaway.
Much like the image of me in that gown,
I'm going to talk about something
extremely uncomfortable.
For weeks now, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
has been under fire for comments that some
said were anti-Semitic.
First, because she tweeted, "It's
all about the Benjamins, baby," in reference
to the Israel lobby.
OK, whether she meant it that way or not, that was messed up.
She should apologize.
There is an apology tonight from freshman democratic
representative Ilhan Omar.
She has, quote, "unequivocally apologized for tweets that
were considered anti-Semitic."
That was a very good apology.
And she didn't even call anyone sugar tits.
Tucker Carlson should take notes.
But it was not over.
Last week, Omar was again accused
of anti-Semitism for comments made
about American foreign policy and lobbying
on the Hill, things that are literally a congressperson's
job to have opinions on.
Some are accusing her of saying that American Jews who support
Israel have dual loyalty.
To be clear, that is not what Omar said.
Here's what she actually said.
It's almost as if every single time we say something,
regardless of what it is we say, that
is supposed to be about foreign policy, our engagement,
our advocacy about ending oppression,
or the freeing of every human life and wanting dignity,
we get to be labeled in something
that ends the discussion because we end up defending that.
And nobody ever gets to have the broader debate of what
is happening with Palestine.
[APPLAUSE]
I want to talk about the political influence
in this country that says it is OK for people
to push for allegiance to a foreign country.
I want to ask, why is it OK for me to talk about the influence
of the NRA, of fossil fuel industries, or big pharma,
and not talk about a powerful lobbying
that is influencing policy?
Is what Omar said anti-Semitic?
That is a subject of fierce debate
within the Jewish community.
How can we leverage our closeness
with Israel to end the occupation of the Palestinians?
We are desperately in need of that conversation.
If she had said that, she would have my support.
What she said instead was that she is being forced to pledge
allegiance, this idea of, like, control and power
and nefarious force.
That's the thing that makes it utilizing
anti-Semitic grammars.
I'm Jewish.
I have fought against anti-Semitism my entire life.
And I do not see anything in what representative
Omar said that is anti-Semitic.
That's not a question less of foreign allegiance
than it's the question of money and the way
it's taken over Congress.
And that applies to the other lobbying groups
as well, as representative Omar said so eloquently.
Patton Oswalt, are you doing the news now?
Now look, anti-Semitism is a huge problem in the world,
on both the right and the left, and in Harry Potter's bank.
[LAUGHTER]
Oh, magical.
Now, I'm not Jewish, so I don't think
it's my place to tell Jewish people whether something
is anti-Semitic or not.
But that hasn't stopped my gentile friends on the right.
The Democrats have become an anti-Israel party.
They've become an anti-Jewish party.
And that's too bad.
I don't have family that is Jewish,
but Joe Lieberman and Hadassah Lieberman are my family.
Sorry if I'm getting emotional, but what Ilhan Omar is saying
is very scary to me.
Truly the victim in all this is Jewish
friend-haver Meghan McCain.
[LAUGHTER]
It reminds me of that moving film, "Fiddler
on the Roof's Friend Meghan."
[LAUGHTER]
Now, clearly this is an important issue
to conservatives.
Good thing no major Republican has ever used anti-Semitic
stereotypes, especially not Trump speaking
to the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015.
Is there anybody that doesn't renegotiate deals in this room?
This room negotiates perhaps more than any room
I've ever spoken to.
You're not going to support me, even
though you know I'm the best thing that
could ever happen to Israel.
You want to control your own politician?
That's fine.
Oh my god, wait until Republicans
hear about that guy.
They are going to be so mad.
They elected him.
[LAUGHTER]
If Republicans don't care when Trump is blatantly
anti-Semitic, it makes you wonder
if there's another reason they're criticizing Omar.
If only someone could say the quiet part out loud.
She's not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine
from the Democrat party.
So if it's not rooted in the party,
where is she getting it from?
Think about it.
Omar wears a hijab.
Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine
indicative of her adherence to Sharia
law, which in itself is antithetical to the United
States Constitution?
Sh.
You had them at hijab.
[LAUGHTER]
The comment was so bad that even Fox News condemned it,
saying, "We strongly condemn Jeanine
Pirro's comments about Representative Ilhan Omar.
They do not reflect those of the network."
Fox News then added, "And if it's us saying that,
you know shit must be cray."
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
They are not wrong.
Judge Jeanine is far from the only person
to attack Omar for practicing the same religion
as a billion other people.
REPORTER: Just last week, this poster in the West Virginia
capital at a GOP day connected Omar
to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Written on that poster, the words,
"I am proof you have forgotten."
And this was on display, as you can see it right there,
at a table in West Virginia's capital
building at a Republican-sponsored public
event.
Just because she's Muslim doesn't mean she did 9/11.
That's like saying that because my name is Samantha Bee,
I killed Nicolas Cage in "Wicker Man."
Not the bees!
[SHOUTING]
Not the Bees is also what they say when my family shows
up at the trampoline park.
[LAUGHTER]
It's pretty disgusting to be peddling
bigotry under the guise of giving
a shit about anti-Semitism.
On the other hand, when Democrats had the opportunity
to condemn Republicans' gross exploitation of the situation,
they decided to take a stand against Omar, opting to float
a house resolution condemning anti-Semitism that was
eventually brought in to include racism and Islamophobia,
and ended up basically saying all hate matters.
Democrats want to be the big tent, diverse party.
They're more than willing to pose
with Omar on magazine covers.
But when she tried to talk about a truly difficult topic,
which is her job as an elected official--
and her life was in danger--
they kind of threw her under the bus.
Ilhan Omar went from being a Somalian refugee
to a fearless congresswoman on the Hill
and has demonstrated that she is willing to learn.
She is part of a group of young progressives
that are starting a lot of uncomfortable and overdue
conversations on the left about things like climate
change and health care, and yes, Israel and Palestine.
The Democrats need to have that conversation respectfully
and not let the Republicans drive the bus,
especially if they're going to drive it like this.
[LAUGHTER]
We'll be right back.
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