Trump's Reaction to the Resolution Condemning Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House of Representatives

One day after a resolution condemning anti-Semitism was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, labeled the Democratic Party as 'anti-Jew' and 'anti-Israel.' According to Reuters, on Friday, March 8, Trump criticized the House resolution, calling the vote 'shameful' and added, 'If you want an honest answer, everyone thinks like me.' The President was speaking to reporters at the White House while en route to Alabama, which was affected by a winter tornado in the southeastern U.S., in response to questions about the House resolution. Trump described the Democratic Party's transformation into 'an anti-Israel and anti-Jewish party' as 'very bad.' On Thursday, March 7, the House passed a resolution by a majority vote that condemns not only anti-Semitism but also Islamophobia and the prioritization of 'white supremacy.' Initially, this resolution was intended to condemn the remarks of Ilhan Omar, a Muslim member of the House, regarding Israel and its influence on U.S. politics, as a resolution against anti-Semitism, without explicitly mentioning Omar's name. Following disagreements among Democrats, and after adding the condemnation of hatred based on Islam and other forms of racism alongside anti-Semitism to the original text, 407 members from both parties voted in favor, while 23 Republicans opposed it. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born politician, and Rashida Tlaib, of Palestinian descent, are two Muslim women who have entered the House for the first time and have made statements against Israel since the beginning of this congressional term; however, Omar's remarks have been interpreted as anti-Semitic, sparking a storm of reactions. Despite previously apologizing to 'voters and American Jews,' last week Omar accused some American politicians of 'dual loyalty' and working for a 'foreign country' while mentioning AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Omar claims that support for Israel among American politicians stems from the money they receive from AIPAC. While some Republicans have stated that Omar should resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Trump had previously said she should resign from Congress altogether. The President has also emphasized in recent days that some individuals in American institutions hate this country; however, he did not explicitly mention Ilhan Omar. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House, stated that she does not believe Omar is anti-Semitic, which has drawn criticism from several leaders of American Jewish organizations and the World Jewish Congress. However, Jewish Senator Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren, three Democratic candidates for the party's nomination in the upcoming presidential election, have supported Omar. Senator Sanders has considered legitimate criticism of the right-wing and Benjamin Netanyahu's government in Israel as separate from anti-Semitism. The Democratic Party currently holds the majority of seats in the House and many of its members are preparing to compete against Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, the latest Gallup poll shows that, although most Americans remain supportive of Israel except for liberal Democrats, the support of American citizens for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reached its lowest level in the past decade. According to the Jerusalem Post and Gallup polling, only 43% of American liberal Democrats remain among Israel's supporters. In a recent Gallup poll, one in five Americans shows greater support for Palestinians, a situation that has not been seen since 2001, following the al-Qaeda attacks on America, including the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. However, support for Israel among American Republicans has also decreased from 87% in 2018 to 76% at the beginning of 2019; an 11% decrease in just one year is also unprecedented. In 2018, 74% of American adults viewed Israel positively, but this figure dropped to 66% at the beginning of 2019. Gallup emphasized that its poll was conducted before the controversy over Ilhan Omar's remarks about Israel erupted.