Omar in the primary, expressed concern over the rise of anti-Semitism in Minneapolis. He noted that many Jewish residents in the area are fearful of such discrimination. Peterson’s remarks come as House Republicans considered a censure resolution against Rep. Ilhan Omar for alleged anti-Semitic comments, causing discomfort among Jewish voters in her district. Peterson and other Democratic primary challengers are seizing the opportunity to remind voters that they have alternatives to represent them in Congress. The 5th Congressional District of Minnesota, which Omar represents, is home to a significant Jewish population alongside a sizable Muslim community, making it a complex district to represent. In a recent primary, a high percentage of Democratic voters in Omar’s district expressed dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict by voting “uncommitted.” The introduction of the censure resolution by Republican Rep. Don Bacon was in response to Omar’s comments at Columbia University, where she referred to some Jewish students as “pro-genocide.” This is not the first time Omar has faced censure for her rhetoric about Israel and the Jewish people. Other incidents include her past comments on social media and speeches that have been condemned by members of Congress. Despite previous apologies, Omar’s remarks continue to stir controversy, with ongoing calls for accountability from various quarters. Democratic candidate Don Samuels, challenging Omar in the primary, believes that the ultimate solution lies with the voters, urging them to elect leaders who can heal divisions rather than exacerbate them. The issue of anti-Semitism and Omar’s controversial statements remains a point of contention in the upcoming election.
Omar’s Leadership Troubling Constituents in District
Omar in the primary, says constituents in the district are troubled by her leadership.
“I think most people that live up to the core values of the [Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party] that Hubert Humphrey created to guard against communism and anti-Semitism are absolutely unhappy with Ilhan Omar as a representative.”
Right now, he says, many Jewish people in Minneapolis are very scared.
The Epoch Times had phone conversations with numerous members of the Jewish community in St. Louis Park, one of the most highly concentrated areas of Jews in Minnesota. Most were fearful of speaking publically. Each said anti-Semitism is on the rise in their area, which is part of Congressional District 5.
“Tyranny is when the loud voices of a few impose their will on many. Only 55,000 of the over 700,000 people in our district voted for Ilhan. The majority of the rest of those folks are very unhappy with her,” Mr. Peterson said.
Jerry Ribnick is a progressive Democrat and a member of the Jewish community. He has hosted political fundraisers for Democratic candidates in his St. Louis Park home from time to time, although Ms. Omar was never one of the candidates who benefited from those fundraisers.
Yet there is no denying that Ms. Omar has political charisma.
“She had such great promise when she came in,” said Mr. Ribnick. “But she certainly is not representing me and the Jewish community. I’m not sure who she’s really representing. Because she’s spent so much time trying to garner headlines and create publicity for herself rather than for the district.
“From the beginning, she was, at best, lukewarm in supporting the Jewish community. And I would say that’s being generous.”
Mr. Ribnick was open to supporting her until she spoke at his synagogue during her first campaign.
“It felt very disingenuous that she was trying to walk a very fine line, if not out and out misrepresenting herself,” he said. “You could certainly feel the hostility, I would say, to the Jewish community already.”
He said he has noticed that she criticizes Israel disproportionately compared with how she speaks about certain repressive regimes.
While he did not vote for her the first time, some of his peers did because there was an optimism that she was going to be much different than how she has turned out.
“Some of her positions with respect to the Jewish community, in particular Israel, and really, some of the anti-American language she uses is very discouraging,” said Mr. Ribnick.
He said that Ms. Omar’s visit to Columbia University to support students who were violating the school’s standards and encouraging them to create further disruption did nothing to help the district or the country.
Mr. Ribnick is throwing his support behind Mr. Samuels.
Republican Challenger
Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District is so deeply blue that the race will likely be decided in the primary.
But there is one Republican in the race. Former journalist and Iraqi American Dalia Al-Aqidi will advance to the General Election ballot and face the Democratic winner. She describes herself as a pro-Israel Muslim and says Ms. Omar doesn’t speak for all Muslims.
Ms. Al-Aqidi told The Epoch Times she has met with many members of the Jewish community in the district, and most tend to vote Democrat, although, over the years, many have kept their party affiliation but decided not to vote for Ms. Omar in the primaries.
“The overwhelming sense I’ve been getting since Oct. 7 is shock and betrayal,” Ms. Al-Aqidi said in an email. “So many of them have stood with fellow Democrats for common social justice causes, yet in their time of need, they have been utterly abandoned. Many are waking up to the idea that identity politics and the use of intersectionality and DEI as organizing principles means that Jewish people are wrongly considered white, colonial oppressors.”
The historically left-leaning Jewish community is starting to see that identity politics isn’t about respecting and understanding our differences, Ms. Al-Aqidi said. It is about punishing people for those differences.
“It pits neighbor against neighbor and tears at the very fabric of our country. I left that behind in the Middle East, and I have no desire to see it replicated here. So, to use a phrase you often hear on the left, this problem is systemic in the progressive brand of politics.”
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