Michigan Democratic Congressman Andy Levin Ignores Palestinian Anti-Semitism

Another day, another Democratic Congressman making dubious statements about Israel or, in this particular case anti-Semitism.

On February 1st, while participating in a webinar with the anti-Israel Jewish group IfNotNowWhen, Michigan Democratic Congressman Andy Levin stated:

The Burmese military just conducted a coup and ended Burma’s fragile, 10-year experiment with democratic self-governance. During those 10 years, the rights of the Rohingya and the Karen and other minority peoples of Burma were never recognized at all. And there was even a genocide of the Rohingya and more broadly the rights of minority peoples there were oppressed. ... We cannot accept a situation where we consider Burma to be a democracy when the rights of its minority peoples were never even established. Of course, it’s highly imperfect, but an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. Unless Palestinian human rights are respected, we cannot fight antisemitism.

For starters, Levin linking the recent coup in Burma with the Palestinian Authority is bizarre when one considers the Palestinian Authority hasn't held an election since 2006.

But the notion that anti-Semitism cannot be combated unless Palestinian rights are respected is utterly specious. It is an absurd a premise as claiming that anti-Semitism cannot be combatted unless the rights of white Protestants are respected. 

Most importantly of all Levin ignores Palestinian anti-Semitism. From cradle to grave, Palestinians are taught to hate and dehumanize Jews. Palestinians are told that Jews are the "sons of apes and pigs."  The Palestinian Authority names streets after Palestinians who murder Jews in cold blood. When Palestinians commit acts of terror against Jews, Palestinian children are handed candy.

And yet Levin insists that we cannot address anti-Semitism unless we respect Palestinians who see fit to kill Jews. But what can we expect of someone who refers to his fellow Michigan colleague Rashida Tlaib, who erroneously claimed Israel was refusing to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Palestinians, as a "sister"?

Levin was elected to Congress in 2018 after his father Sander retired. He is also the nephew of former Michigan Senator Carl Levin. Sadly, in this case, the apple has fallen far from the tree.