WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 08: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) talks with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a rally with fellow Democrats before voting on H.R. 1, or the People Act, on the East Steps of the U.S. Capitol March 08, 2019 in Washington, DC. With almost zero chance of passing the Senate, H.R. 1 is a package of legislation aimed at bolstering voting rights, reducing corruption in Washington and overhauling the campaign finance system in an effort to reduce the influence of ‘special interests.’ (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 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.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.