US Congresswoman Removed From Foreign Affairs Panel Over Israel Remarks

The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to oust a controversial Democrat from a powerful committee over anti-Semitic comments, in a move seen by her party chiefs as revenge for their previous removal of far-right Republicans. Former Somali refugee Ilhan Omar, the third Democrat to be stripped of committee assignments by Republicans this year, has made several comments critical of Israel since 2012 that were condemned on all sides. "I am a Muslim, I'm an immigrant and, interestingly, I'm from Africa," the 40-year-old Minnesota progressive said in a defiant floor speech ahead of her removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee. "Is anyone surprised that I'm being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy?" The roughly party-line vote came after Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Congress, kept a campaign promise to deny seats on the prestigious the Intelligence Committee to Adam Schi…