Jeremy Slevin, a spokesperson for Representative Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) office, accused AIPAC in an August 11 tweet of putting “Omar’s life at risk.”
Slevin’s tweet showed a screenshot of an AIPAC Facebook advertisement containing a graphic that read: “For Ilhan Omar, there is no difference between America and the Taliban, between Israel and Hamas, between democracies and terrorists. Tell Ilhan Omar: condemn terrorists, not America.” This was juxtaposed with a June tweet from Omar stating that she receives death threats when she “speaks out against human rights.” She shared audio of someone saying, “Muslims are terrorists. And she’s a raghead n******. And every anti-American communist piece of s*** that works for her, I hope you get what’s f***ing coming for you.”
“The language AIPAC uses in paid ads to smear and vilify @IlhanMN is virtually identical to the language used in death threats she gets,” Slevin tweeted. “Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar’s life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads.”
The language AIPAC uses in paid ads to smear and vilify @IlhanMN is virtually identical to the language used in death threats she gets.
Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar's life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads. pic.twitter.com/Ehkn8qmW7p
— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) August 11, 2021
Slevin subsequently wrote in a follow-up tweet: “It shouldn’t have to be stated, but baselessly linking Muslim-Americans to terrorism is *the* textbook example of Islamophobia and is routinely used to silence advocacy for Palestinian human rights.”
It shouldn't have to be stated, but baselessly linking Muslim-Americans to terrorism is *the* textbook example of Islamophobia and is routinely used to silence advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) August 11, 2021
AIPAC defended itself in a tweet. “Your baseless attack on us can’t deflect from [Omar’s] attack on America and Israel,” they wrote to Slevin. “It is outrageous for Rep. Omar to put the U.S. and Israel on the same level as the Taliban and Hamas. There is no moral equivalence between democratic allies and the terrorists who target them.” AIPAC’s tweet also contained a screenshot of Omar’s June 7 tweet that read in part: “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban.”
Your baseless attack on us can't deflect from @Ilhan's attack on America and Israel.
It is outrageous for Rep. Omar to put the U.S. and Israel on the same level as the Taliban and Hamas.
There is no moral equivalence between democratic allies and the terrorists who target them. https://t.co/kqZqwZKdt8 pic.twitter.com/3idLSRtCpa
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) August 11, 2021
Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) tweeted in response to Slevin, “I’m sick of this s—,” prompting AIPAC to tweet, “So are we, Congresswoman. Inciting hate by demonizing Israel and spreading vicious, dangerous lies about our democratic ally Israel doesn’t advance the prospects for peace.”
So are we, Congresswoman.
Inciting hate by demonizing Israel and spreading vicious, dangerous lies about our democratic ally Israel doesn’t advance the prospects for peace. https://t.co/WzE5RM2gKx
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) August 11, 2021
Other Jewish groups weighed in.
“Baselessly accusing @AIPAC of Islamophobia and death threats is outrageous and beyond the pale,” the American Jewish Committee tweeted. “Criticizing Rep. Ilhan Omar’s odious comparison between the U.S. and Israel and murderous terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban isn’t Islamophobic. It’s the right thing to do.”
Baselessly accusing @AIPAC of Islamophobia and death threats is outrageous and beyond the pale.
Criticizing Rep. Ilhan Omar's odious comparison between the U.S. and Israel and murderous terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban isn't Islamophobic. It's the right thing to do. pic.twitter.com/p0mLPqjCi1
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) August 11, 2021
Stop Antisemitism tweeted, “Jeremy [Slevin] is upset his fellow Jews have the audacity to call out his boss for her continued antisemitism.” They included a screenshot of a tweet in which Slevin repeatedly states, “Anti-semitism is a right-wing force.”
Meet Jeremy Slevin – Ilhan Omar’s social media guy.
Jeremy is upset his fellow Jews have the audacity to call out his boss for her continued antisemitism. https://t.co/6ci7gIIlnK pic.twitter.com/bE69GTJD0J
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 12, 2021
J Street, on the other hand, tweeted: “After 4 years backing Trump’s far-right policies, AIPAC seems to be declaring war on progressive Democrats with incendiary ads falsely accusing Congresswomen of color of supporting terror & hate. This isn’t ‘bipartisan.’ It doesn’t help Israel. It doesn’t speak for American Jews.”
After 4 years backing Trump’s far-right policies, AIPAC seems to be declaring war on progressive Democrats with incendiary ads falsely accusing Congresswomen of color of supporting terror & hate.
This isn’t “bipartisan.” It doesn’t help Israel. It doesn’t speak for American Jews pic.twitter.com/aTidjGhKzw
— J Street (@jstreetdotorg) August 11, 2021
IfNotNow accused AIPAC of “repeating a smear of [Omar]’s comments that [Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi] went out of her way to call ‘legitimate.’” Their tweet included a screenshot of Pelosi being quoted as saying that Omar had raised “a very legitimate question.”
Wow. @AIPAC is repeating a smear of @Ilhan’s comments that @SpeakerPelosi went out of her way to call “legitimate.” https://t.co/fIjVcl4zED pic.twitter.com/Th9XfOWUwa
— IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNowOrg) August 11, 2021
In a June 10 statement, Omar said that she did not draw a moral equivalency between America and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban, and that she was discussing “accountability for specific incidents” regarding current International Criminal Court cases. “I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”
