On Feb. 10, freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), responded to a post by House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.), where he said Democrats should act on Omar’s anti-Israel statements.
“We took action on our own side. I think when they stay silent, they are just as guilty,” McCarthy said Friday, according to The Washington Post. “I think this will not be the end of this.”
Omar responded: “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” a slang term for money.
Batya Ungar-Sargon, an editor at The Forward followed up that tweet with a question: “Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess.”
Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess. Bad form, Congresswoman. That's the second anti-Semitic trope you've tweeted. https://t.co/FTCaCe7WyG
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) February 11, 2019
“AIPAC!” Omar tweeted back (but has since removed it).
The American Israel Public Affair Committee (AIPAC), as its own website states, does not contribute to politicians.
The tweet did not go unnoticed by members of Omar’s own party – who took to Twitter to blast her response.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y). chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, of which Omar is a member wrote:
My statement on Rep. Omar's comments pic.twitter.com/TiVshAT81r
— Eliot Engel (@RepEliotEngel) February 11, 2019
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, who is Jewish, said
"In this fragile moment in our nation’s history, we must all redouble our efforts to engage in policy debates in ways that respect the dignity and humanity of all people." — Read my statement on the comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar. pic.twitter.com/srHL49WUBN
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) February 11, 2019
Rep. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla), chairman of the Ethics Committee responded:
I condemn the use of anti-Semitic tropes by Rep. Omar. Anti-Semitism invoked by any Member of Congress is absolutely unacceptable.
Read my statement: pic.twitter.com/qR2SOARPGh
— Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) February 11, 2019
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Appropriations committee wrote:
My statement on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's comments: pic.twitter.com/MtWo72LsMZ
— Archive: Nita Lowey (@NitaLowey) February 11, 2019
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), another member of the “freshman class” posted:
I’m eager to reaffirm my support for Israel, condemn anti-semitism in all its forms, and make clear that my beliefs on Israel and any other policy topic for that matter will never be bought and paid for.
— Rep. Haley Stevens (@RepHaleyStevens) February 11, 2019
Democratic leadership posted a letter on behalf of Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark (D-Mass.)
In our conversation today, Congresswoman Omar and I agreed that we must use this moment to move forward as we reject anti-Semitism in all forms. https://t.co/UpZA3DNgQs pic.twitter.com/1Z6rH65e3M
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 11, 2019
The ADL also released a statement in response:
As the people’s House, the House of Representatives must not tolerate any bigotry against any community in our nation. Our statement on Rep. @IlhanMN anti-Semitic tweets:https://t.co/mrXpqS8VWq
— ADL (@ADL) February 11, 2019
Voices on the other side of the aisle, including Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), have called for Omar to be removed from her committee role:
Good that some Dems have condemned the disgraceful anti-Semitic remarks of Rep. Omar—but their words are empty unless Dem leaders remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee. No one with her anti-Semitic views should be allowed to represent US foreign policy on that committee.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 11, 2019
Omar recently apologized for a 2012 tweet in which where she accused Israel of “hypnotizing” the world, acknowledging that she had unwittingly echoed anti-Semitic themes.
