Over the past several weeks there exists significant disagreement and confusion among elements of the Democrat Party. Three new members of Congress — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib and Ilhab Omar — have created comments that have seemed to have splintered their colleagues.

Most recently Rep. Omar has made several comments that are anti-Semitic. First, in one of her tweets she said that the pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, was effectively buying off American politicians, saying that it is “all about the Benjamins, baby.”

For those unaware of this term, it is referring to $100 bills.

Needless to say, this ignited quite a bit of controversy. This was heightened when she suggested that groups supporting  Israel were pushing members of Congress to have “allegiance to a foreign country.”

Our nation has long been a staunch ally of Israel as Israel is our major ally in the Middle East and, outside of the United Kingdom, is probably the next most credible one we have. Republicans have been critical of these comments as they are not only hurtful, but also morally wrong.

Several months ago, Rep. Steve King (R Iowa) was stripped of his committee assignments as a result of inappropriate comments regarding white supremacy. However, Rep. Omar, in spite of her comments, still has a committee assignment on the important House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Why is she still on this committee?

Any thoughts?

There has been reluctance on the part of leaders of the Democrats to criticize this virulent hate speech. After significant paper shuffling and delay, they passed an “omnibus hate speech bill” in the House condemning any and all potential element of hate speech, but refusing to infer or make anything designating any condemnation of Omar.

Remarkably, Majority Leader Pelosi stated that she felt Omar was confused and certainly did not express anything that could be considered anti-Semitic. In addition, her two freshmen associates Talib and Ocasio-Cortex rushed to her defense.

Three senators who are running for president — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris — all were supportive and unapologetic for her remarks. It should also be noted that, while Rep. Omar was running for election, she denied support for the organization BDS. But, on Nov. 14, 2018, after the election, she admitted her support for this organization.

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions and all of this is aimed 100 percent at Israel.

With this in mind any alleged Omar “apology” is obviously insincere.

Although I am not nor is my wife Jewish, we do not countenance this type of hate. We have a reason that is indelibly burned into our minds.

While I was serving in the Air Force we went on leave in Germany. While in Munich we took a side trip and went to see the infamous concentration camp, Dachau. The feeling that you have as you draw near to it is chilling when you consider the number of people exterminated there.

The old barracks behind the barbed wire is the first thing you see and then you arrive in a courtyard. Pointed out to us were the “hanging tree,” and an area where firing squads executed prisoners for target practice.

We then were taken through the “shower areas” which, in fact, were the gas chambers. Adjacent to the gas chambers were the furnaces. Each furnace had four slots where the victims were incinerated; two in the middle were for adults and the ones on either end were for the children.

After seeing this gruesome house of horrors there is no way anyone could have any part of anti-Semitism at any time ever.

Why is the Democrat leadership reluctant to criticize the anti-Semitism that has recently been expressed by one of its representatives?  Your thoughts?

Another View is a weekly column written collaboratively by Dale Landrith of Camden, Ken Frederic of Bristol, Paul Ackerman of Martinsville, Jan Dolcater of Rockport and Ralph “Doc” Wallace of Rockport.