Washington – Days after a series of apologies for an old tweet seen as echoing anti-Semitic themes, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said AIPAC paid politicians to be pro-Israel, a falsehood that drew immediate rebukes.
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Omar on Sunday responded on Twitter to a threat two days earlier by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to take action against her because of her past statements on Israel by saying, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby”, a reference to $100 bill featuring Benjamin Franklin.
Her seeming implication that McCarthy was attacking her at the behest of the pro-Israel lobby was made clear with her subsequent response to a tweet by Batya Ungar-Sargon, an editor at The Forward, who tweeted, “Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess.”
“AIPAC!” Omar replied.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee does not contribute to politicians, although its donors give money to political campaigns, in the same way that an array of activists backing distinct interests across the political spectrum have for decades donated to campaigns. Omar raised over $1 million for her freshman campaign last year, including from unions and from Emily’s List, a group that seeks increased participation by women in politics.
Omar’s remarks drew immediate rebukes, including from Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism,” Clinton said.
Omar recently apologized for a 2012 tweet in which she accused Israel of “hypnotizing” the world, acknowledging that she had unwittingly echoed anti-Semitic themes. McCarthy’s call to discipline Omar, apparently for the 7-year old tweet, came after she apologized.
since when did facts have any impact on Muslims?
Let’s all hope and pray she get yena machla and als bkorov. This anti American Palestinian needs to be stopped
What a stupid uneducated blank. How can you compare terrorist state vs a state with democratic ideals?
What about all of the money that the NRA gives for political lobbying purposes, which is far greater than AIPAC’s? Also, what about the powerful commercial airline lobby on the hill? Nobody ever complains about those two lobbies. Feh on this so-called Congresswoman with the schmatte on her head!
Gosh. This why is this news?
Don’t all pacs contribute to political campaigns?
A typical.bantu, silence from capo schumer
after WWII Ukrainian and Hungarian nazi collaborators entered the US and some had war criminal records now a new antisemite entered the US and even wound up in congress
these are hashomers buddies the Jew hating democrats this anti Israel Jew hater was put on the foreign affairs committee
when will the democrat party leadership condemn their Jew hating anti Israel congressional members
she is an immigrant from somalia
To #9 - Who cursed her on VIN? Kindly have your eyeglass prescription updated.
Trump created anti semetism by being the most pro Jew and Israel president America has had in over a century