WASHINGTON (JTA) — Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, lent her considerable weight to the reelection bid of Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has faced allegations of invoking anti-Semitism.
Meanwhile, an opponent who has attracted the support of pro-Israel givers nationwide has outraised Omar by millions of dollars.
“Ilhan is a valued and important Member of our Caucus,” Pelosi said Tuesday in a statement. “In her first term, Ilhan has already established herself as a leader on a host of issues — from child nutrition to housing to U.S.-Africa relations.”
Pelosi was among Democrats in 2019 who joined in criticizing Omar for a number of statements about pro-Israel influence that were seen as anti-Semitic. Omar apologized for some but not all of the statements.
Antone Melton-Meaux, one of four challengers to Omar in the Aug. 11 election, has fund-raised nationally in part by rebuking Omar for her Israel policies; Omar is one of two Democrats in the House who back the boycott Israel movement.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune on Tuesday reported Melton-Meaux had in the last quarter raised $3.2 million while Omar had raised $472,000.
