A group of House Democrats introduced a resolution this week that condemns antisemitism in addition to Islamophobia and “anti-Palestinian discrimination.”
It comes as the war between Israel and Hamas continues to fracture the Democratic Party, with hardline leftists labeling Israel the aggressor and calling on it to stop its retaliation on Gaza, while more establishment liberals maintain Israel is a critical ally that must be supported.
The bill, led by progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., introduced the resolution to memorialize 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, a Palestinian boy who was stabbed to death by his parents’ landlord in an alleged hate crime.
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In addition to honoring him, the resolution text also included a provision saying the U.S. “has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination.”
And in what appears to be a veiled jab at leftists’ pro-Israel colleagues, the resolution also stated that “it is the duty of elected officials and media to tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the public of factual information.”
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Israel has waged a ground invasion and air assault on Gaza after Hamas militants invaded the country on Oct. 7 and slaughtered over 1,200 people – mostly civilians in their homes – and took hundreds hostage.
Ramirez blamed the child’s death on “rhetoric” espoused against Palestinians in the wake of the attack.
“Hateful anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric has real consequences. Just 30 minutes away from my district, Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child full of dreams, became victim to the rising Islamophobia and hateful rhetoric spewed about carelessly and recklessly since October 7,” she said in a statement.
“The rise of hate crimes, anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism puts all of us in grave danger,” she added.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.
All four Democrats voted against a bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitism on college campuses and calling for university presidents to be fired earlier this month. That vote divided the left, with 84 Democrats voting in favor and 125 voting against.
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