Share

Trump: Omar's Anti-Israel Comments Mark a 'Dark Day' for Jewish State

Share

President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar’s newest remarks about Israel mark a “dark day” for the Jewish state.

His comment came as House Democrats prepared a resolution by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, declaring that the House opposes anti-Semitism and bigotry.

Some Republicans and Jewish groups are pressuring Democrats for stronger action, including potentially removing Omar from the prestigious House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Omar’s remarks have inflamed Democratic divisions over Israel, and Trump lobbed a tweet into the uproar.

“Representative Ilhan Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel,” he wrote, referencing what he said were “Jewish groups” demanding she be stripped of her committee seat. “A dark day for Israel!”

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

It was the latest chapter in a series of clashes between Omar and American supporters of Israel in Washington, where the Minnesota Democrat has been celebrated as part of a new generation of House members that is more female and more diverse than any in history.

Last month, Omar ignited a bipartisan uproar in Washington and Minnesota when she suggested on Twitter that members of Congress are paid by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to support Israel.

AIPAC is a nonprofit organization that works to influence U.S. policy. She apologized for that remark, but Trump called her mea culpa “lame” and said she should resign from Congress or at least not be allowed to serve on committees.

For a few weeks, the matter quieted. But last week, Omar said at a Washington bookstore that she worries that everything she says about Israel would be construed as anti-Semitic. She used language that, to many ears, evoked a longtime trope about American Jews having divided loyalties.

Israel’s supporters, she suggested, are pushing members of Congress to pledge “allegiance to a foreign country.”

It’s at least the third time the Minnesota Democrat’s words have put her colleagues in a more delicate spot than usual on the U.S.-Israel relationship, and the second time in two months that she’s drawn a stern backlash from party leaders.

Prominent Democrats, including House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel, demanded another apology from Omar and began over the weekend to write the resolution.

Related:
Watch: Daily Wire Host Claims that Saying 'Christ Is King' is Anti-Semitic, Gets Hit with Major Backlash

A draft offered to news outlets, including The Associated Press, does not explicitly rebuke Omar, a Somali-American and one of two Muslim women in Congress. But it sets out the history of anti-Semitism and bigotry in America, including anti-Jewish tropes about divided loyalties. The document also rejects bigotry directed against Muslims after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The House is expected to vote on the resolution Wednesday.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , ,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation