Ilhan Omar was criticized after suggesting that pro-Israel activists and lawmakers hold “allegiance to a foreign country”
Rep. Ilhan Omar is drawing criticism again for comments about Israel — this time suggesting that pro-Israel activists and lawmakers hold “allegiance to a foreign country.”
In a lengthy and blistering rebuke late Friday, Rep. Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Omar’s remarks amounted to a “vile anti-Semitic slur” and called on the Minnesota Democrat to apologize.“I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it’s unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the U.S.
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.Omar’s latest controversial comments come just a few weeks after she sparked a firestorm of criticism from her fellow Democrats over what they said was a similar anti-Semitic trope. Last month she implied on Twitter that lawmakers’ support for Israel was driven by campaign donations from the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, a prominent and influential pro-Israel group.
Engel’s statement was in response to Omar’s appearance at an event in Washington earlier this week where she was lamenting that her criticisms of Israel are reflexively dismissed as anti-Semitic. Omar, who is Muslim, later said: “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is O.K. for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”
While Omar has seen members of her own party turn on her amid the recent controversies, Republicans have been even more critical of her, with many calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to kick her off of the Foreign Affairs Committee. They’ve also used Omar’s comments and views on Israel to paint the entire Democratic party as extreme.on Friday, a poster of Omar appeared to connect her to the 9/11 terror attacks.
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