Ilhan Omar blazed the trail. Beto O'Rourke is following — and soaking up all the praise

Omar pushed forward and endured attack from all corners for what she said. It is telling that a milquetoast, watered-down statement from Beto has been received with much fanfare

Beto O’Rourke has received the lion's share of praise after referring to Benjamin Netanyahu as a “racist” who doesn’t represent the “true will of the Israeli people” during a speech in Iowa on Sunday. One of several Democratic presidential candidates who had words for the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he pledged to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank if re-elected, O’Rourke further remarked such a promise “will make peace in the long term impossible.”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders are two of those who have made similar statements. And while I agree with Beto’s characterisation of Netanyahu, the praise being heaped upon him for stating the obvious comes in stark contrast to the personal vitriol and political attacks levelled against Ilhan Omar. The Somali-American Representative for Minnesota provoked outrage a few weeks ago when she criticised AIPAC and US legislation that opposes the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. During that time, many conflated criticising AIPAC, Israel, or even Netanyahu himself with being antisemitic.

Nearly two months has passed since the uproar about Omar’s words and with a presidential election cycle in full swing, it appears most Democrats actually quietly agree. Omar pushed forward and endured attack from all corners for what she said. It is telling that a milquetoast, watered-down statement from Beto has been received with much fanfare.

Unlike Ilhan Omar, Beto O’Rourke has not actually made a bold statement about the relationship between two countries. Netanyahu and his embrace of right-wing nationalistic factions are positioned as the sole problem in Israeli politics, just as Trump and his similar tactics are often dressed up in the US as the only problems with the Republican Party. Similar to Democrats hoping for a return to bipartisanship with “real Republicans”, Beto leaves his relationship with the Israel lobby intact. It’s a skilled dance he’s done, in which he’s managed to appear bold while saying something that essentially has no risk of consequences.

Meanwhile, Omar has not missed a beat despite all the controversy around her — and yet remains under attack. The president made disparaging remarks about her just hours after a man identifying as an avowed Trump supporter was arrested for plotting to kill her this weekend.

Reflecting on the recent praise of Beto for doing the bare minimum, and Omar for leading the charge, it is clear that there are two different standards at play. Her stance ushered in a wave of progressive support for standing up and demanding a more open discussion about Israel and the Palestinian people, as well as the possibility of real action. Beto cannot simply critique Netanyahu without any real acknowledgement of what his proposal would mean for millions of Palestinians who live in the occupied West Bank.

Last month, progressive organisation MoveOn celebrated several presidential candidates refusing to speak at AIPAC 2019, something which might not have happened without Omar standing her ground and forcing open the conversation. Senator Kamala Harris was among those who declined to attend AIPAC 2019 and was praised alongside her peers for her decision — yet, merely days later, Harris tweeted her delight at meeting with an AIPAC delegation from California. O’Rourke has had similar sitdowns, including a meeting with AIPAC in 2017. In his state of Texas, an Anti-BDS Bill known as HB89 prohibits businesses that support boycotting Israel from working with state agencies.

While members of the pro-Israel lobby condemned Netanyahu’s alliance with a far-right party, Netanyahu was still a speaker during AIPAC 2019. Several speakers at the conference directly attacked Ilhan Omar — while speaking at an event which gave a platform to some of the most far-right members of the Republican Party, a party which has been accused of contributing to a climate in which white supremacism and antisemitism has flourished.

Meaningful and honest discourse around the issues arising out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and US support for actions taken by the state of Israel need to be met with actual policy changes, rather than short statements about Netanyahu being bad. Putting the primacy of US-Israeli relations above all else, Beto’s comments ring hollow. He may be able to produce nice soundbites, but the escalating actions against Palestinians being taken by Netanyahu’s government and supported by some inside the United States need to be addressed. Ilhan Omar dared to suggest that systemic changes need to take place. The legacy of her words should not be white Democrats co-opting the meaning, watering it down to make it palatable, and using it as a campaign strategy which benefits them but does nothing for the people of the Middle East.

Anoa Changa is a political analyst and attorney based in Atlanta, GA. She hosts “The Way with Anoa” podcast