Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., called on Reps. Rasheda Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to "stop playing theater" where Israel is concerned and instead be "thoughtful and meaningful" about what the key U.S. ally faces every day.
"Israel gets to decide who can come into their country, just like we do," McSally told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday. "I will tell you these two members of Congress, their views on Israel are very clear. Their support for the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, their refusal to condemn anti-Semitism, you see it in their rhetoric, in their social media posts, in their votes."
McSally added she wishes the two women had joined in the trip with a bipartisan group earlier this month that visits Israel to inform freshman members of Congress about Israel.
"I love Israel," said McSally, a U.S. Air Force combat veteran. "I deployed to the Middle East five times. I know the dangerous neighborhood they live in, the existential threats that they have."
Also on Tuesday, the congresswoman talked about her push to have domestic terrorism designated as a crime.
"I was surprised it wasn't a crime," she said. "It is defined in federal law, but if somebody is going to support ISIS or international terrorism when they are brought up on charges, they are charged with supporting terrorism but there is no such crime for domestic terrorism."
She said it is "common sense" if there is to be a fight against incidents such as those in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, or racially motivated violence, white nationalism, anti-Semitism, "we call it what it is, charge them for what it is, which is terrorism. It helps to provide more resources, dedicate support, better track, understand the trends in these crimes."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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