‘Squad’ member and Israel critic no longer listed speaker at religious freedom event

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota appears to no longer be speaking at a religious freedom event in May, according to an updated event program.

Omar was previously scheduled as the opening speaker at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF)2023 Annual Report Event on April 25 which “documents systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom that have occurred in the last year” as well as providing Congress with recommendations for promoting religious liberty internationally, according to an earlier itinerary. The event was later to moved to May 1 and no longer lists the Minnesota congresswoman as a speaker but did not offer an explanation for the change.

Omar was removed from her House Foreign Affairs committee assignment in February after members of Congress raised concerns about past antisemitic comments. The congresswoman said at one point that Israel “hypnotized the world,” that the U.S.-Israel relationship was “all about the Benjamins,” and compared Israel and the U.S. to the terrorist organization Hamas.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was also listed as a speaker during the event but Rubio’s Hispanic Media Director and Foreign Policy Communications Laura Ortiz told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was planning to send a “video message” in place of his speech.

“[L]ike previous years, Senator Rubio sent a video message for the event,” Ortiz said. “When it comes to policy issues he has been vocal on his disagreements with the Congresswoman. I defer to USCIRF as to why [Omar] is no longer speaking at their event.”

Opening remarks are currently going to be provided by USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel and Vice Chair Rabbi Abraham Cooper. Rabbi David Saperstein, former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom and director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, is listed as a moderator for the event.

Omar and USCIRF did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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