President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy surrounding a freshman Democrat and her use of language that’s been widely condemned as anti-Semitic in her critique of Israel.
But it’s unclear if Trump understands what the points of contention are.
In a tweet on Monday evening, Trump called out Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) “terrible comments concerning Israel,” and pointed out Democratic leadership’s efforts to condemn Omar’s rhetoric, which has been labeled anti-Semitic by Jewish lawmakers within the Party. Trump then concluded it was “a dark day for Israel,” even though it’s the Israeli government and pro-Israel groups that Omar called out.
Representative Ilhan Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel. Jewish groups have just sent a petition to Speaker Pelosi asking her to remove Omar from Foreign Relations Committee. A dark day for Israel!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019
Omar was flooded with criticism over the weekend when she suggested that pro-Israel advocates have an “allegiance to a foreign country,” language that’s widely considered anti-Semitic because it perpetuates tropes about Jewish people’s loyalty to America. She also came under fire just a few weeks ago when she tweeted suggesting lawmakers who are pro-Israel are motivated by the financial backing of groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), even though the powerful lobbying group doesn’t make direct donations to lawmakers.
Omar hasn’t hidden her opposition to Israeli policies since before she was elected. She openly supports BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) against the Israeli government and has been outspoken about the sway AIPAC has in Washington.
