Rep. Omar is under fire for repeating her claim that U.S. politicians must pledge allegiance to Israel.
By World Israel News Staff
Rep. Ilhan Omar is once more causing a stir after a Tweet on Sunday in which she suggested that U.S. politicians were being forced to “pledge allegiance” to Israel, The New York Post reports.
In her tweet, the Minnesota Democrat said, “I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee.”
Omar was responding to a tweet from fellow Democrat and New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey.
Lowey, a strong supporter of Israel, had tweeted, “Lawmakers must be able to debate w/o prejudice or bigotry. I am saddened that Rep. Omar continues to mischaracterize support for Israel. I urge her to retract this statement and engage in further dialogue with the Jewish community on why these comments are so hurtful.”
Lowey was referring to earlier comments Omar had made in which she accused pro-Israel lawmakers of promoting foreign allegiances, during an event at a book store in Washington, D.C.
“I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” Omar said at that meeting.
“No member of Congress is asked to swear allegiance to another country,” Lowey tweeted. “Throughout history, Jews have been accused of dual loyalty, leading to discrimination and violence, which is why these accusations are so hurtful.”
Many criticized Omar’s tweets.
“It’s ‘Antisemitic Weekends with Omar,’” tweeted former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind. “On this week’s episode, she’ll talk about Jewish power, money and dual loyalty!” Hikind added. “Next week: the apology. Rinse and repeat.”
Former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted: “How Many Is This So Far? Ilhan Omar Makes More Bigoted Remarks, Revives Dual Loyalty Smear.”
The new tweets come as the Somali-born Muslim legislator had been quietly deleting tweets that contain some of her more anti-Semitic statements.
Omar came under fire in February for suggesting that the largest pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) paid politicians to support Israel.
Apparently, Omar has a history of making anti-Israel statements. The Twin Cities Pioneer Press website, based in her home state of Minnesota, reported in mid-February after her AIPAC comments came to light that “Ilhan Omar has been talked to about this before.”
“Last year, before she was elected to the House of Representatives… leaders of Minneapolis’ Jewish community fashioned what could be described as an anti-Semitic intervention of Omar, a rising star of the left whose remarks had made many fellow Democrats in the Jewish community uncomfortable,” the news site reported.
Minnesota Democratic state senator Ron Latz invited Omar to his house, where a number of Jewish leaders had gathered. “We wanted to reach out to her,” Latz recalled. “We were a bit troubled about several things she had said.”
The gathering with Jewish leaders did not go well, says Latz.
“Most of us came out of that conversation very troubled by the answers we received. I was not convinced she was going to give a balanced approach to policy in the Middle East, and I was not convinced… where her heart is on these things,” he explained.
Latz’s fears appear to be borne out as Omar continues to make troubling statements regarding Israel and the support it enjoys in the U.S.