Rep. Sharice Davids (Facebook)
On Sunday, March 10, Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids met with several members of the Jewish community to discuss the events of the past week. Those events included a resolution on anti-Semitism sparked by a freshman Democrat’s comments about “allegiance” to Israel and implying the use of money to achieve disproportionate influence in the government. It was then expanded to address Islamophobia suffered by the same congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 407-23 on March 7 to approve the resolution, which did not name Omar but specifically emphasized the anti-Semitic history of dual-loyalty accusations, associating Jews with money and the myth that Jews control the government. After days of debate, the final resolution condemned “hateful expressions of intolerance” against “African-Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, immigrants and others” affected by bigotry.
Davids was among 234 Democrats — the entire caucus — who favored the resolution. All the members of the Kansas and Missouri congressional delegations voted in favor. Omar, who also voted in favor of the resolution, is a refugee from Somalia and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.
Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee Executive Director Gavriela Geller was a part of the group who met with Davids. Geller said the congresswoman demonstrated her strong desire to listen and understand how those comments were heard by the Jewish community in her own district. The group discussed rising anti-Semitism both in Europe and the United States and the need to speak out forcefully at every turn.
“We are grateful for Representative Davids’ support of this resolution, and for her sensitivity in reaching out to arrange this meeting,” Geller said. “We cannot allow this type of rhetoric to become mainstream. At the same time, we reject false narratives of division between the Jewish and Muslim communities and staunchly believe it is possible — and necessary — to fight both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia simultaneously. We look forward to continuing to work with Representative Davids, and all of our elected officials, to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination wherever it manifests.”
In a statement released to the press following the March 7 vote, Davids said, “Today I voted in support of a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim discrimination as forms of bigotry contrary to the values and aspirations of the American people. I stand in strong opposition of all forms of hatred, intolerance and discrimination, and I am deeply concerned about the rise of hate crimes in our country.
“We need to take a step back and listen and learn from all our communities. We were elected to represent the people of this country — and we should first and foremost listen to them and their experiences. This is particularly true as we work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. “
This article includes information provided by JTA.