Rep. Ilhan Omar's controversial tweets
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Speed read
Who: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.
What: The freshman Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota apologized for tweets that her critics said invoked anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish financial influence over U.S. politics.
When: On Sunday, Omar quoted a tweet by journalist Glenn Greenwald that questioned why lawmakers spend time defending Israel, reposting it with the caption, “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby.” She then responded to a tweet asking where she thought this money was coming from by saying “AIPAC” – the pro-Israel lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Omar on Monday apologized “unequivocally” for her remarks. “Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” she said, adding: “Listening and learning, but standing strong.”
Why: Omar’s apology came after widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership issued a statement calling the congresswoman’s tweets “deeply offensive.” President Trump called her apology “lame” and said that “she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the foreign affairs committee.”
It’s not the first time Omar has been in hot water for remarks about Israel. Three weeks ago, she apologized for an old tweet saying that Israel had “hypnotized the world” — terminology previously used against Jews in Nazi conspiracy theories.
What’s next: Omar, who, in November, became the first Somali-American woman to be elected to Congress, used her apology to “reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics,” and vowed to continue fighting against their influence, “whether it be AIPAC, the NRA, or the fossil fuel industry.”
Perspectives
Omar’s tweets were a gift to her critics.
“Her words were a gift to Republicans, who seek to divide the Democrats over Israel, even as their president traffics in anti-Semitic imagery and stereotypes. The knives were out for Omar and she ran right into them.” – Michelle Goldberg, New York Times
“Omar’s apology, if genuine, is welcome. But more important is for Omar — and for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), another Muslim Democratic freshman who has been in similar controversy — to understand that their recent actions hurt not just Jews but also Muslims, Democrats and ultimately all who support tolerance.” – Dana Milbank, Washington Post
There is a growing tolerance for anti-Semitism on the left.
“The Left and the Democratic party tolerate anti-Semitism openly expressed, period: From the Reverend Al Sharpton and his Jewish ‘bloodsuckers’ in Crown Heights to the footsie-playing with Farrakhan to Representative Omar’s trafficking in the worst of 1920s anti-Semitic mythology, anti-Semitism is now a regular part of politics among Democrats, from the far-left radicals who see in Israel an extension of American imperialism to those who appeal to the anti-Semitism that is all too common among African Americans and Muslim Americans, the latter of whom are an important new Democratic constituency. This is the reality that informed Representative Omar’s libel.” – Editorial Board, National Review
Criticism from the right reveals a partisan double standard.
“Republican elected officials are quick to condemn Omar but do not seem to see how their own rhetoric encourages these far worse elements who identify as part of the political right. The double standard is palpable, and has largely been downplayed in coverage of the Omar situation. But it shouldn’t be. While the Democratic Party handled an offensive comment quickly, Republicans have never shown a willingness to do the same when it comes to right-wing anti-Semitism. There’s a reason most Jews in the United States are Democrats, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.” – Zack Beauchamp, Vox
The controversy started an important conversation.
“To pretend money doesn’t play a role — or that AIPAC doesn’t have a big impact on members of Congress and their staffers — is deeply disingenuous. And so we should thank Omar, the freshman lawmaker, for having the guts to raise this contentious issue and break a long-standing taboo in the process — even if she maybe did so in a clumsy and problematic fashion.” – Mehdi Hasan, The Intercept
“She clearly meant it as a comment on the power of lobbyists, but it inadvertently invoked long-standing tropes of wealthy Jewish cabals exerting influence. The ensuing political firestorm revealed just how hard it is to maintain solidarity in the face of the oppressive forces that want to divide and conquer. The solution is this: Listen. Believe people when they reach out to you in good faith. Ignore bad-faith hypocrites. Apologize if necessary. Then we can move forward together.” – David M. Perry, CNN
Omar was unfairly targeted.
“The following two things are true. First, Representative Ilhan Omar was wrong to tweet that the American government’s support of Israel is ‘all about the Benjamins.’ Secondly, she’s being judged by a grotesque double standard. Her fiercest critics in Congress are guiltier of bigotry than she is.” – Peter Beinart, Forward
“[Rep.] Kevin McCarthy has regularly railed against George Soros, a now-standard anti-Semitic dog whistle that, along with racist mailers, was common Republican campaign material in last year’s election. After the Pittsburgh shooting McCarthy deleted his Soros-related tweets, and still enjoys his position as the House minority leader. The question, then, is: Why is Omar being held to a much different standard? Writer and professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor maintains that it is because Omar is unapologetically and visibly Muslim. She also supports calls to raise taxes on the highest earners in the country and, as a Somali refugee, she sits in the middle of a Venn diagram of groups deeply maligned by conservatives.” – Luke Darby, GQ
If Trump and the right wanted to fight anti-Semitism, they’d do more than rebuke Omar.
“Whatever American Jews might feel about Omar’s comments, none of us should be tricked into thinking there’s a serious attack underway on American antisemitism. Instead, people who have demonstrated their comfort with malicious antisemites, and willingness to deploy antisemitic tropes when it suits them, are seizing on a perceived slight and inflating it for their own purposes.” – Rafi Letzter, The Independent
Omar’s comments reveal a lack of understanding about the U.S. and Israel.
“Beyond the offensive nature of the whole ordeal, Omar’s comments betray a serious misunderstanding about what makes support for Israel such a potent political current in the United States. Conspiracy theories often tell us what we want to hear, and it’s convenient to view one’s ideological rivals as mindless drones who can be activated on command or with payment. If only the puppet masters could be overthrown, the whole system would come crashing down. But the reality is more complicated, and it does the Palestinians no favors to embrace an overly simplistic outlook that sees American Israel lobby money as the lynchpin holding the occupation in place.” – Evan Gottesman, Haaretz