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Ocasio-Cortez Breaks Silence On Ilhan Omar's Anti-Israel Comments: 'I'm Proud'

Tabitha Cortez
Feb 13, 2019     
Ocasio-Cortez Breaks Silence On Ilhan Omar's Anti-Israel Comments: 'I'm Proud'

Omar's comments were condemned by both Democrats and Republicans, and the Minnesota congresswoman "unequivocally" apologized, saying she had no intention of offending anyone and thanking her colleagues for educating her on anti-Semitic tropes.

Ilhan Omar apologized Monday for tweets suggesting that members of Congress support Israel because they are being paid to do so.

On Air Force One flying to a campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, Trump said that Omar had made "a bad statement" and that he didn't find her apology to be adequate. Nevertheless, in the US, where the Israeli lobby is so strong that one can be accused of anti-Semitism for a single word Israeli government deems offensive, it was not long until Omar faced heavy insults and slander.

AIPAC, which is not a political action committee, does not make campaign contributions to politicians, but its individual members can make donations, and the organization spends millions on lobbying efforts for pro-Israel legislation every year.

AIPAC denied the assertion, and Democrats said they were shocked.

Omar, 37, came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia.

"But others have defended Omar and Tlaib, arguing, like Omar, that critics conflate the lawmakers" condemnation of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism. "Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share", House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic leadership team wrote in a statement. "And Congressman Omar, it's bad what she said", the commander-in-chief continued.

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The call for Omar's resignation came after Trump said Monday the Minnesota Democrat "should be ashamed of herself".

AIPAC is a nonprofit organization that works to influence USA policy toward Israel. "I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the Foreign Affairs Committee."She also said, "At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry", said NPR".

Trump himself drew widespread criticism from Jewish groups and others after saying "both sides" were to blame after a 2017 Charlottesville rally where white supremacists carried Nazi flags and shouted anti-Semitic slogans, facing off with counter-protesters.

The nonprofit responded Sunday night: "We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work".

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has found himself at odds with Omar and Tlaib over a bill he's sponsoring that punishes companies participating in the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. She insists her rejection of the Israeli government refers to its stance toward Palestinians and is not directed at Jewish people.

The letter is the culmination of growing concerns - from within her own party and across the aisle - over Omar's comments about the Israel-Palestine conflict. She earlier apologized for tweeting in 2012 that "Israel had hypnotized the world". Such legislation includes financial support for Israel and measures that would ban boycotts of Israel, including the BDS movement.

Among the yellow notes of support posted on Omar's office nameplate on Capitol Hill on Monday was one that read, "Mazel Tov".