From the Editor's Desk: Our voices should be heard: #FightAntiSemitism

The Jewish community here in Central Florida should make its voice heard concerning the anti-Semitic slurs being spewn about in Congress as well as the appointment of Ilhan Omar to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

One community member, Dr. Daniel Layish, has made his voice heard by one congressman. (He said he even got a human being to answer the phone with no waiting.)

“Call Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) to encourage him to stay strong in his condemnation of Ilhan Omar,” Layish said.

Rep. Engel is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the ever-important committee to which Democratic leadership unbelievably assigned Omar.

“Call Rep. Engel at 833-298-3536 and tell him to stand strong against Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitism... and tell him to demand that Ilhan Omar be removed from HFAC,” Layish further stated.

After Omar’s blatantly anti-Semitic comments, Rep. Engel had initially demanded an apology from Omar. Omar is now refusing to take responsibility for her anti-Semitism and apologize for her latest comments. Unfortunately, Rep. Engel is refusing to call for removing Omar from his committee.

We know that Congressman Engel is feeling a lot of pressure from the progressive base within the Democratic party who support Omar and her anti-Semitic views. In fact, led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they’re even threatening to run primary opponents against moderate, pro-Israel Democrats like Rep. Engel.

“It’s time for us to make sure Rep. Engel knows that the majority of Americans are disgusted by anti-Semitism, and we want him to continue standing up to the anti-Semites in his party,” Laysih concluded.

Are we fed up with the anti-Semitic talk in our government? Can our Jewish Community Relations Council or the Holocaust Center speak up as well against this? Organized voices do speak louder than one single voice. Still, if enough single voices speak up, we will be heard.