Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar apologized Monday afternoon for controversial tweets about the Israel lobby in the United States after her comments were denounced by House Democratic leaders as "anti-Semitic tropes." In a post on Twitter, Omar "unequivocally" apologized for the earlier tweets and said her intention was "never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole." But the freshman lawmaker, who was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress last fall, added that she was not backing down on the “problematic role of lobbyists in our politics.” Listening and learning, but standing strong pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1 — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019 Earlier Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders demanded the Minnesota Democrat apologize, which she did just before 3 p.m. "Legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share," the leaders said in a joint statement. "But Congresswoman Omar's use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments." In a post on Twitter, Pelosi said she and Omar had discussed the tweets. A proponent of the BDS — Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — movement aimed at putting economic and political pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians, Omar first tweeted Sunday night that money was driving U.S. politicians to defend Israel. It's all about the Benjamins baby https://t.co/KatcXJnZLV — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 10, 2019 She then tweeted that AIPAC — the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee — was paying politicians to support Israel. Omar, a Somali refugee, came under fire from Democrats and Republicans who viewed the comment about a want for "Benjamins" being the reason why Israel is so solidly supported by the U.S. government as an anti-Semitic trope involving Jews and money. Rep. Omar’s use of an anti-Semitic stereotype was offensive and irresponsible. This kind of intolerance has no place in Congress—or anywhere in American society. No one should invoke anti-Semitic tropes during policy disagreements. — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 11, 2019 Congresswoman Omar’s statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself. pic.twitter.com/u3f2JHESFA — Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) February 11, 2019 For nearly two weeks, Rep. @IlhanMN has avoided meeting with me to discuss why anti-Semitic tropes like these are hurtful to so many Americans. There is absolutely no place for this rhetoric in Congress -- or anywhere. https://t.co/0arhEAVyXO — Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) February 11, 2019 One of the oldest Anti-Semitic conspiracies is about Jewish money as an instrument of global domination. See the fake anti-Semitic “Protocols of Zion”. She might as well have tweeted: “IN OUR HANDS IS THE GREATEST POWER OF OUR DAY—GOLD” 1/2 https://t.co/0VhNaHpirz — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 11, 2019 AIPAC, a nonprofit that does not donate directly to candidates but works to promote a staunchly pro-Israel message in Washington, responded to Omar, tweeting that it is "proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship." "Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests," the group's tweet continued. "We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work." Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, tweeted that she would reach out to Omar's office on Monday to discuss "anti-Semitic tropes." Omar tweeted that she would be happy to chat with Clinton. Hi Melissa - I will reach out to her tomorrow. I also think we have to call out anti-Semitic language and tropes on all sides, particularly in our elected officials and particularly now. — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 11, 2019 Hello Congresswoman! Completely agree. I will reach out to your office tomorrow. Looking forward to connecting about this thread and more, Chelsea — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 11, 2019 Omar, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was originally responding in her earliest tweet to criticism from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy over her prior comments regarding Israel. McCarthy and other Republicans have called on Democratic leadership to "take action" regarding Omar and fellow Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the other Muslim woman elected last year, over their criticism of Israel. McCarthy compared it to Republicans having taken action regarding the racist remarks made by Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa. Meanwhile, Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Elaine Luria of Virginia were seeking signatures Monday from Jewish House colleagues on a letter they plan to send to the House Democratic leadership calling on "each member of our Caucus to unite against anti-Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes." "As Jewish Members of Congress, we are deeply alarmed by recent rhetoric from certain members within our Caucus, including just last night, that has disparaged us and called into question our loyalty to our nation," the Democrats wrote in the letter, obtained by NBC News. Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, who is Jewish and whose district is adjacent to Omar's, spoke with Omar on Monday night to express his offense at her comments and extend an invitation for discussions aimed at fostering a better understanding between Jewish and Muslim members of Congress, according to a statement from his office. "I spoke privately with Rep. Ilhan Omar today before issuing a statement in the hopes of converting a painful experience into a learning opportunity and a mutual commitment to pursue understanding," Phillips said. "We agreed to move forward with a shared goal of working collaboratively to combat hatred and intolerance towards all persecuted communities, and commit to respectful debate of the issues important to each of us." Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday that it was "shocking to hear a Member of Congress invoke the anti-Semitic trope of ‘Jewish money.’" "I fully expect that when we disagree on the Foreign Affairs Committee, we will debate policy on the merits and never question members’ motives or resort to personal attacks," he said.<doc-sep>Representative Ilhan Omar, a freshman Democrat from Minnesota, came under scrutiny again this week because of her comments about Israel. The remarks in question came during a discussion at a Washington bookstore on Wednesday about how critics have repeatedly labeled Ms. Omar’s criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. She argued that the label is being used in bad faith to shut down debate. The sentence that garnered the most attention was, “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.” [See a full video of the event.] Ms. Omar questioned why it was acceptable for her to speak critically about the political influence of the National Rifle Association, fossil fuel industries and “big pharma,” but not the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. (After she was widely criticized for a tweet about Aipac last month, she deleted it and apologized.)<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar seems to have deleted the tweets that drew accusations of anti-Semitism from both Republican and Democratic colleagues two weeks ago. The Minnesota Democrat, along with her appointment to the Foreign Affairs Committee, drew the ire of House Republican leaders because of a 2012 tweet (that was also deleted), in which she accused Israel of having "hypnotized the world." She then sparked more outrage with tweets criticizing the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups. On Feb. 10, journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted a link to an article in which House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., threatened to take "action" against Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for the two new Muslim members of Congress' criticisms of Israel. Greenwald said it was "stunning" how much American politicians defend Israel. Rep. Ilhan Omar punches back at Trump:'You have trafficked in hate your whole life' Trump:Rep. Ilhan Omar should be 'ashamed' over 'anti-Semitic' tweet condemned by Dem leaders "It's all about the Benjamins baby," Omar tweeted in reply. When another Twitter user asked the Somali-American congresswoman who she thought was paying those politicians, Omar tweeted, "AIPAC!" The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is one of the largest pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the U.S. Critics from across the political spectrum denounced Omar's tweets for playing into old anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracies about Jewish people, money and political influence. Omar apologized unequivocally for the tweets in a statement the next day. It was not immediately clear exactly when or why the tweets were taken down, but users on Twitter began to take notice on Sunday. "Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar is deleting her anti-Semitic tweets. But deleting tweets doesn’t change that she still supports the anti-Semitic BDS movement to boycott and delegitimize Israel," tweeted Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, referencing Omar's support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which is critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Omar's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. More:Rep. Omar starts furor with tweets on 'compromised' Sen. Graham, Israel 'evil doings' More:Elliott Abrams bristles at Rep. Ilhan Omar's 'attack' for his Iran-Contra role<doc-sep>The long-simmering controversy over Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)’s heated language on Israel has reached a boiling point — with House Democrats weighing a plan to vote on a resolution clearly designed to punish one of their own rising stars. Omar had already stirred controversy with comments last month attributing pro-Israel sentiment to the financial clout of the pro-Israel lobby. Then last week, she spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on a panel with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who, like Omar, is a first-term member of Congress and a Muslim. “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” Omar said as part of a discussion about past anti-Semitism allegations lobbed at her. In full context, Omar doesn’t explicitly identify who or what this “political influence” is coming from other than the pro-Israel lobbying community in general. But given her previous comments, the latest remarks struck many observers as playing into well-worn anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish attachments to Israel making them disloyal to the United States. Some were no longer inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. On Monday, House Democrats unveiled plans to vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism that reads as a clear rebuke of Omar personally, criticizing the “insidious, bigoted history” of “accusations of dual loyalty.” Yet Omar also has vocal defenders in both the Democratic Party and the broader left-progressive community, including some prominent Jewish leftists. Her defenders argue she is being attacked in bad faith as a Muslim woman of color who dares to criticize Israel, pointing out that anti-Semitism on the right doesn’t get nearly this much attention. Nor, they argue, does Islamophobia get taken as seriously: Just this week, Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature put up a viciously Islamophobic poster connecting Omar to the 9/11 hijackers, without nearly as much fanfare as Omar’s comparatively tame comments. This backlash, particularly from progressive members of Congress, appears to have caused Democrats to delay the vote on the anti-Semitism resolution — and potentially rewrite its text entirely. It’s true that Omar’s comments on Israel keep falling into well-worn anti-Semitic tropes — and her defenders often prove too willing to paper this over and dismiss criticism from even progressive Jews as “smears.” It’s also the case that Republican officials frequently call on anti-Semitic tropes and say worse about other minority groups without nearly so much bipartisan condemnation. Pushing for a House vote on anti-Semitism really did feel like unfairly singling out Omar — and whitewashing the GOP’s record in the process. That’s why progressives rallied to Omar’s defense, and why the Democratic leadership has been forced to reconsider its initial resolution. In short, the entire situation is a mess — and an example of how difficult it is for Democrats to carry on an important conversation about anti-Semitism on the left without downplaying the far more pressing problem of anti-Semitism on the right. Ilhan Omar’s Israel track record Ilhan Omar is widely seen as one of the rising stars in the 2018 legislative class. She has an inspiring story — a refugee from Somalia who rose to become the first black Muslim woman in Congress — and has demonstrated a talent for giving voice to perspectives often excluded from mainstream American politics. Her grilling of Venezuela envoy Elliott Abrams last month shined a spotlight on American complicity in grave human rights abuses in America, a kind of critique of the foreign policy elite rarely heard from members of Congress. Her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — unapologetically pro-Palestinian — fits with this profile, broadly speaking. It has helped make her into a darling of the insurgent left, which is highly critical of the Democratic establishment’s generically pro-Israel view. Yet when Omar talks about Israel, she has a bad habit of saying things that feed into anti-Semitic stereotypes. In 2012, she tweeted that “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” The tweet implied that Israel and its supporters were secretly tricking the world into supporting it, a longtime anti-Semitic trope for which Omar apologized after taking office in January. “I heard from Jewish orgs. that my use of the word ‘hypnotize’ and the ugly sentiment it holds was offensive,” she tweeted. “I spent ... little energy [in] disavowing the anti-Semitic trope I unknowingly used, which is unfortunate and offensive.” In mid-February, Omar created another stir when she tweeted that support for Israel in the US Congress was “all about the Benjamins,” suggesting that the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC was buying off American politicians. This smacked of the well-worn conspiracy theory that Jewish financiers buy off American politicians, and led to Democratic leadership publicly condemning Omar’s comments. Omar deleted the original tweet and said she “unequivocally” apologized. And for a few weeks, that seemed to settle the matter. But then, at the panel with Tlaib last Wednesday, Omar tried to address her anti-Semitism problem again. And that’s when things went south. What Omar actually said — and why it’s problematic Omar’s remarks at the panel did acknowledge, to be clear, that it’s important to be sensitive when Jews take offense at her comments. But she also suggests that being Muslim leads to the assumption of anti-Semitism, and that the accusation is used as a label to shut down debate. Then she concludes with the instantly infamous comments about “allegiance” to Israel. Here’s the full quote: What I’m fearful of — because Rashida [Tlaib] and I are Muslim — that a lot of our Jewish colleagues, a lot of our constituents, a lot of our allies, go to thinking that everything we say about Israel to be anti-Semitic because we are Muslim. And so to me, it’s something that becomes designed to end the debate because you get in this space of — yes, I know what intolerance looks like and I’m sensitive when someone says, “The words you used, Ilhan, are resemblance [sic] of intolerance.” And I am cautious of that and I feel pained by that.<doc-sep>
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sparked backlash Sunday evening from members of both parties -- including former first daughter Chelsea Clinton -- after she accused a prominent lobbying group of paying members of Congress to support Israel. Omar, who became the first Somali-American woman elected to Congress in November, responded to a Twitter post by journalist Glenn Greenwald criticizing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for threatening to take action against Omar and another freshman lawmaker, Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over allegedly anti-Semitic remarks. "There’s situations in our conference where a member does something that is wrong — I think you’ve seen from my own actions that I take action about it," McCarthy told reporters Friday, making an apparent reference to Republican congressman Steve King of Iowa. "I think when they stay silent, they are just as guilty ... I think this will not be the end of this, and if they do not take action then I think you will see action from myself. It’s unacceptable in this country, especially when you sit back and think about and listen to what this country went through in World War II." MCCARTHY ASKS DEMS TO DENOUNCE ALLEGED ANTI-SEMITIC REMARKS: 'THIS WILL NOT BE THE END OF THIS' Greenwald accused McCarthy of targeting Omar and Tlaib for their numerous criticisms of Israel, to which Omar chimed in "It's all about the Benjamins, baby," quoting a 1997 rap song by Puff Daddy. She then doubled down when challenged by Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor of The Forward newspaper. "Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess," Ungar-Sargon tweeted. "Bad form, Congresswoman. That's the second anti-Semitic trope you've tweeted." In response, Omar tweeted "AIPAC!" referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which regularly has been accused by progressives of agitating for a conflict with Iran. "We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship," AIPAC tweeted Sunday evening. "Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work." Another freshman Democrat, Max Rose of New York, tweeted that Omar's statements "are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself." "When someone uses hateful and offensive tropes and words against people of my faith, I will not be silent," Rose said in a statement. "... 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. 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. The congresswoman's statements do not live up to that cherished ideal." JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN REP. RASHIDA TLAIB OVER TIES TO RADICAL PRO-HEZBOLLAH, ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST House GOP conference chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., slammed Omar's remarks and called for House Democrat leaders to remove Omar from the Housed Foreign Affairs Committee. Zudhi Jasser, a physician and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, took Cheney’s call a step further, arguing that removing Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee would be a “good first step, followed by a swift sanction against @IlhanMN for bigotry unfit for the US Congress with removal from all committees. Ignoring this would bring the “bigotry of low expectations” to a new low for Muslims.” The Republican Jewish Coalition called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to take action against Omar and asked rhetorically if other House Democrats would "care to comment on the outrageous anti-Semitism being spewed by one of your fêted members?" "[House Majority] Leader [Steny] Hoyer [D-Md.] - you've led many AIPAC trips to Israel," RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks tweeted. "Will you speak out against this??" McCarthy himself tweeted: "Anti-Semitic tropes have no place in the halls of Congress. It is dangerous for Democrat leadership to stay silent on this reckless language." Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who repeatedly accused the global body of anti-Israel bias during her tenure, tweeted that Omar's statements "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." Chelsea Clinton tweeted: "We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism."