Ilhan Omar

 Politics trumped good sense, a hallmark of the new GOP.  Ilhan Omar should not have been removed from the Foreign Relations Committee.  

Legislators seem to confuse Israel with Judaism.  Israel is a country, Judaism is a religion, and to an extent, a culture.  Opposing Judaism is antisemitic, disagreeing with Israel is not.  Israel as a country acts in its own self interest, or at times the self interest of leading politicians.  Sometimes the interests of Israel and the United States align, at times they may not.

Omar is not antisemitic.  She has at times made insensitive remarks.  But when she stumbled she stood up and apologized.  That contrasts with Mega MAGA Republicans who double down.  Perhaps we can use Jewish lasers to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon.

Omar is however, unapologetic in disagreeing with some Israeli policies.   The bulk of the work of Congress is done in committees, not on the House floor.  Diversity of opinion and reexamination has value.  Sort of like shooting the moon in the game Hearts, in the Talmud if there was a unanimous guilty vote by the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Court) the suspect was exonerated.  

A unanimous vote was considered suspicious.  A fix was in.  So too unanimity of thought in a Congressional Committee can be dangerous.  Consensus must be reached through discourse not dogma.