Arlington, VA/USA – January 10, 2019: Rep. Ilhane Omar (D-MN) speaking at the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), congressional reception for newly elected Congressional representatives

Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing backlash from top Republican and Democratic leadership for blasting the largest pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC, on twitter Sunday. Omar responded to a tweet by the Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald about the US Israel relationship saying, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby”

Later, Omar responded to a tweet from Forward journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon that read “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.”

In fact, Omar’s response was immediate “AIPAC.” The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is the largest pro-Israel lobby in America and apparently Omar’s target.




Ungar-Sargon’s tweet was a direct response to California Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s calls to reprimand Omar for her continued displays of antisemitism.

AIPAC quickly responded to Omar’s slanderous tweet saying, “We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work.”

Under President Trump the U.S. has developed a stronger relationship with Israel. This week US troops are in Israel working alongside the Israel Defense Forces for defense collaboration. The U.S. Defense Department also recently purchased Israel’s Iron Dome Missile interception technology.

Omar Doesn’t Miss an Opportunity To Criticize Israel

Omar’s Sunday tweet was not her first anti-semitic display. Last month Omar compared Israel’s policies to the Jim Crow Era. Omar said she did not believe Israel is a democracy because it is a Jewish state.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman referred to Omar’s tweet as ‘painful but amusing.’

Omar doesn’t seem to miss an opportunity to criticize the Jewish people and Israel. In Nov. 2012, Omar tweeted about the alleged ‘evil doings of Israel’ saying “Israel has hypnotized the world.”

Omar Faces Backlash From Democrats and Republicans

Moreover, Omar is now facing backlash from both sides of the political aisle. For example, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley tweeted, “This CANNOT be tolerated in our own Congress by anyone of either party.”