Jewish Americans should rejoice in a rare victory, as a notorious antisemite, anti-Zionist and hater of America (“some people did something”) was removed from the important House Foreign Affairs Committee (“Voting Against an Antisemite Should Be an Easy Decision” Feb. 2, 2023).

In retrospect, we should shine the spotlight on the action of our very own representative in Congress, Josh Gottheimer.

Last week, the full House got to vote on whether to remove Omar from the HFAC. In the 11th hour, our “problem-solver” rode to the rescue and persuaded Omar to sign a resolution recognizing Israel as an ally and democratic country (no longer an apartheid state?). Now ask yourself, are we to believe that up until that moment she was an innocent and unenlightened purveyor of antisemitic tropes and calumnies and now, suddenly, with a little re-education from Rep. Gottheimer, she managed to see the light?

Rep. Gottheimer, if you are convinced by this miraculous conversion, then you are too stupid to serve in the Congress. And if you don’t believe this, then you are a cynical party hack, creating cover for voting the party line to keep Omar on HFAC while betraying your constituents.

And what of our own community and our so-called “leaders”? Who amongst us called or sent an email to Rep. Gottheimer to express their feelings on the matter? If not, why not? Did our so-called leaders make any attempt to inform the broader community and issue a call for action? As the saying goes, “shtikah k’hodaa.”