FOUL ODOR

As Europe swells with the influx of people of differing worldviews, the rise of anti-Semitism has grown and made the air putrid.

According to an FBI report, hate crimes against Jews in America have also risen by 37% and they account for 58% of all religion-based crimes.  Last year in NYC, 183 of the 352 religious hate crimes recorded were anti-Semitic.

Jews sustain the majority of religious hate crimes.  But then, being "against" Semitic people is nothing new.  Hate has plagued the Jews since ancient days.

Should we worry about the rise of anti-Semitism?   Yes!  It rides the back of evil's rise.

Many make a case for diversity as though it were the "be-all and end-all".  If that were the case, Europe and America would have no cause for trouble.

There is much to learn from diversity, but it is not a substitute for qualification.  Diversity only serves us if it helps us understand differing worldviews...and shows how some worldviews are less user-friendly.

Enter our freshman Congresswoman whose anti-Semitic remarks have  made news.  They are nothing new for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.  In 2012 she tweeted and deleted and apologized for this little bomb:

"Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel."

This week in a Congressional hearing, she smiled through a diatribe with Elliott Abrams and her contempt for him was palatable.  Then her tweet pattern followed:  comment. apologize. comment. apologize.

People who are truly sorry don't keep repeating offensive behavior.

There should have been an uproar about her comments but the brouhaha blew up and over.  Congress wanted a censure resolution against the Congresswoman, but when the resolution came out, it had been diluted into a kindergarten "don't hate anyone" statement.  BUT THE BROUHAHA WASN'T ABOUT EVERYONE.  It was about Congresswoman Omar.

What did her leadership say?  Surely they held her to account for her ugly remarks.  No.

Nancy Pelosi said Omar wasn't intentionally anti-Semitic. "I think she has a different experience in the use of words, and doesn't understand that some of them are fraught with meaning".

What exactly is a "different experience in the use of words"?

Political doublespeak is what makes Americans crazy.  Madam Speaker says it was not about "her" (Omar) but was about all forms of hatred.  No Ma'am!  You should say Ilhan Omar was wrong and take her off the Foreign Relations Committee.  How can she lead foreign relations with her worldview?

Considering Bernie is Jewish, his reply was bizarre.  "We must not equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel."  Wow, Mr. Sanders.  Way to answer a question that wasn't asked.  Congresswoman Omar was not speaking about Israeli policy when she defamed Jewish people.

The foul-mouthed Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman from Michigan, threw in her two cents.  She observed that Omar was targeted because she is a Muslim of color.  "Of course there is a double standard for women of color.  All of us women of color can see that."

This video shows not all Muslim women ascribe to that philosophy.   MAY BRAVE ASRA NOMANI'S TRIBE INCREASE!

Now what is the bottom line?  The party will not remove the Congresswoman from her committee OR take a stronger stance on her comments.  She "got away" with it.  Surely the crack left in the door will invite other comments.

America and Israel are historic friends who work together along common values and goals.  Wonder what values that Ms. Omar holds that are shared by her constituency?  Here in an old video of her joking about Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.

Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East.  One spotlight of Israel's mettle is the way they treat their Arab citizens, giving them posts in Israel's government.  Could the same be said for other Arab countries?

These "exotics" (our new Congressional representatives who showed up and protested on their first day at work) are dealing with a steep learning curve.  They are a JV team with uber exuberance coupled with an uber simplistic view of the world that they've been taught.

Some of these newbies think that Israel does not have a right to exist.

We get what we ask for in our representation.  We act like all candidates are qualified and we vote without looking past the pretty face or the self-importance derived from having voted for someone "diverse".  Five minutes ago one newbie was a bartender and now she barks that she's the boss of us and we need to question having children and the world will come to an end in twelve years.

The inmates seem to be running the asylum over at their place.

Truth is an anchor for times such as these.  We should STAND WITH ISRAEL...look over the heads of this temporary leadership to Divine leadership...and follow God.

The LORD says Israel is a nation of His covenant people and WHOEVER TOUCHES ISRAEL TOUCHES HIS PRIZED POSSESSION.

That should throw cold water on any anti-Semitism.