Freshman
Democratic Rep.
Ilhan Omar of
Minnesota is facing backlash after suggesting
Republican support of Israel is fueled by donations from the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (
AIPAC), a prominent pro-Israel group.
Omar responded to a tweet by journalist Glenn Greenwald that reads, "GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy threatens punishment for @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib over their criticisms of Israel. It's stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans."
Omar replied, "It's all about the Benjamins baby," followed by a musical notes emoji. Omar has been critical of the Israeli government over its treatment of Palestinians and supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a non-violent activist campaign that aims to put economic and political pressure on Israel over its actions toward Palestinians, including calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
In response to Omar's tweet Sunday, a woman named Batya Ungar-Sargon tweeted, "Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess. Bad form, Congresswoman. That's the second anti-Semitic trope you've tweeted."
Omar responded to the tweet and wrote, "AIPAC!"
The freshman congresswoman faced swift backlash from both Democrats and Republicans on Twitter.
New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose tweeted, "When someone uses hateful and offensive tropes and words against people of any faith, I will not be silent. Congresswoman Omar's statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself. Implying that Americans support Israel because of money alone is offensive enough. But to go a step further, and retweet someone declaring their pain at her sentiment is simply unacceptable."
"At a time when anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise, our leaders should not be invoking hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel," Rose tweeted.
"In the Democratic Party - and in the United States of America - we celebrate the diversity of our people, and the Gods we pray to, as a strength," Rose continued. "The Congresswoman's statements do not live up to that cherished ideal."
CNN has also reached out to Omar's office for comment on her tweets.
On Friday, before the tweets were posted, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy railed against recent comments by Omar and other freshman Democrats who have spoken critically against the Israeli government over its treatment of Palestinians. He said if Democratic leaders don't take action, he may act on his own.
McCarthy directly compared their comments, which Republicans have labeled anti-Semitic, to the recent comments by Rep. Steve King of Iowa when he told The New York Times, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?" McCarthy pointed to actions that he took to punish King, such as blocking him from committee assignments, and criticized Democratic leaders for being silent about their own members.
It is unclear what actions he can take, though there is already a resolution in the works that introduced by New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin that calls for a rejection of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hatred in the US and around the world. The text of the resolution mentions Omar by name, citing, among other things, Omar's statement that "Israel has hypnotized the world."
CNN has reached out to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office for comment on Omar's remarks and if they will take action against her.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley responded to Omar's "AIPAC" tweet and wrote on Twitter, "To see this at the UN was a fight every day. This CANNOT be tolerated in our own Congress by anyone of either party. In a time of increased anti semitism, we all must be held to account. No excuses." She added a heart and flag emoji followed by, "#NoSpaceForHate #NoToleranceForAntiSemitism #WhatIsHappeningWithPeople"
Chelsea Clinton also weighed in on Twitter, writing, "We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism."
Last week, Omar defended her views on Israel and told CNN it is "not surprising" she is generating attention and said, "I think it is actually exciting because we are finally able to have conversations that we weren't really willing to."
"It is really important for us to get a different lens about what peace in that region could look like and the kind of difficult conversations we need to have about allies," Omar told CNN on Tuesday.