As the House Committee on Foreign Affairs worked Thursday on marking up H.R. 2374, the "Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act," Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced an amendment to put Democrats on notice and expose how American taxpayer dollars are funding material amounting to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda in Palestinian schools.
"It is the further sense of Congress that anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and claims that Israel is an apartheid state should have absolutely no place in any curriculum used by the Palestinian Authority," his amendment read.
As the congressman explained it, his amendment "intends to make it crystal clear that our nation will not fund hateful propaganda that works to undermine a pathway to peace in any region of the world, or indoctrinate the next generation of jihadists." He also pointed out it "will also put members on the record as to where they stand in denouncing anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and the idea that Israel is an apartheid state."
According to a summary of the overall bill:
This bill requires the Department of State to report on the curriculum used in schools in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority or located in Gaza and controlled by any other entity. Among other topics, the report must address (1) whether the materials used encourage violence or intolerance toward other nations or ethnic groups, (2) the steps the Palestinian Authority is taking to reform such materials, and (3) whether U.S. foreign assistance is used to fund the dissemination of the offending materials.
The State Department must make such reports publicly available.
The bill pertinently highlights how schools in the West Bank and Gaza are handing out textbooks that include "graphics portraying violence against Israeli soldiers, positive portrayals of individuals who have committed attacks against citizens of Israel, and references to Palestinian efforts to target the 'Zionists.'" They also include "inaccurate and misleading maps of the region and include militaristic, adversarial imagery and content that incite hatred."
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A particularly noteworthy member on that committee is Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a squad member who has made blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks before. Although Rep. Omar voted for all other amendments, she abstained when it came to Rep. Pfluger's.
"It is alarming that American taxpayer dollars have gone towards funding hateful propaganda that is indoctrinating the next generation of Hamas fighters," Rep. Pfluger said in a statement for Townhall. "Rep. Ilhan Omar has repeatedly made statements accusing Israel of being an apartheid state and has claimed Israel has 'hypnotized the world.' Her hateful rhetoric about Jewish people and Israel has no place in Congress, and her refusal to denounce antisemitism is telling," he reminded.
He also had choice words for Omar during the committee, expressing "I find it incredibly disturbing and disgusting that members of this committee have also participated in peddling these hateful talking points, with little to no recourse from leadership or within our institution."
About the effects of such behavior, Pfluger pointed out that "echoing this rhetoric not only spreads this hateful message to a broader audience, but undercuts the values this nation was founded on and our interests across the globe and in order to ensure we are holding the [Palestinian Authority] accountable for their hateful propaganda, we must also consider... the words that we use and the effect that they have."
.@Ilhan refused to condemn antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric. This is no surprise. She repeatedly accuses Israel of being an apartheid state and claims they have “hypnotized the world.” Her hateful rhetoric is telling and has NO place in Congress. pic.twitter.com/xsPDtLsIol
— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) September 15, 2022
Rep. Plfuger even submitted tweets for the record from Omar in May of last year referring to Israel as "an apartheid state" and a since-deleted tweet from 2012 which she has still defended, claiming it has "hypnotized the world."
While many in the west are still uncomfortable calling Israel an Apartheid state, this Israeli man was saying it four years ago. It’s time to get on the right side of history.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 17, 2021
Last September, Rep. Omar was also one of the few members to vote against funding for Israel's Iron Dome defense system.
Rep. Omar's behavior was enough for Congress to vote on an amendment condemning anti-Semitism. Being that Democrats were in control of the House, though, it was very much a watered down version. Further giving credence to Rep. Pfluger's claims that there has been "little to no recourse" is that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has also been largely dismissive of Rep. Omar's behavior.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the other hand, who is expected to become the next speaker, should Republicans take back control of the chamber, does plan to take action, in that he plans to remove her from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Rep. Pfluger's amendment ultimately passed, the only one to do so.
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