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very fair question. fyi, much of Trump's claims this week are nonsense (surprise!).
https://www.apnews.com/e6690d5b6e8c496580e2dc0cc78c2f17
the real stuff isn't great, though - particularly given the rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the US. if we had a normal President, Omar would be a much worse position. nobody can came close to him, so lesser ignorance by lower-ranked elected officials get a free pass.
from ABC:
THE FACTS: Omar ignited a bipartisan uproar in Washington and Minnesota during her first weeks in Congress this year when she suggested on Twitter that members of Congress support Israel for money. Many Jewish leaders denounced her remarks as reviving old stereotypes about Jews, money and power.
A few weeks before her “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” tweet, a 2012 tweet surfaced in which she said Israel “hypnotized the world.” She denied anti-Semitism was intended and apologized for both episodes.
...........
from CNN
Omar, a Minnesota congresswoman, tweeted in 2012: "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine #Israel."
The tweet was called anti-Semitic by both Republicans and Democrats when it resurfaced this year.
Omar initially defended it, telling CNN: "I don't know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans. My comments precisely are addressing what was happening during the Gaza War, and I am clearly speaking of the way the Israeli regime was conducting itself in that war."
After the criticism continued, Omar said she had just learned from Jewish organizations that her use of the word "hypnotize," which has a long anti-Semitic history, was offensive.
"It's now apparent to me that I spent lots of energy putting my 2012 tweet in context and little energy is disavowing the anti-semitic trope I unknowingly used, which is unfortunate and offensive," she tweeted.
She emphasized again that she was not attacking the Jewish people, saying, "It is important to distinguish between criticizing a military action by a government and attacking a particular people of faith."
.............
ABC News
WHAT REP. OMAR SAID ABOUT AL QAEDA: In 2013, Omar, then a political activist, appeared on a local Twin Cities current affairs program, "BelAhdan," after the bombing of a Kenyan shopping mall by terror group al-Shabab.
In conversations about how American Muslim communities navigate responding to terror attacks committed by Muslim extremists, the host, Ahmed Tharwat, noted how Arabic names for groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah and al-Shabab are commonly used in the U.S.
"It's very interesting that we keep the Arabic name to such a violent, or negative entity," he said.
"They don't mean anything evil," Omar replied, calling their usage "a product of the sensationalized media."
also ABC:
This spring, "Omar was at a progressive event in Washington where she said pro-Israel activists pushed "allegiance to a foreign country," in an effort to clarify her initial comments.
"I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country," Omar said, immediately prompting criticism that she was evoking stereotypes about "dual loyalty," a trope seen as anti-Semitic but also associated historically with other immigrant groups.
In March, the House passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in response to Omar's comments, though some Democrats were angry that it didn't mention the congresswoman by name. "
https://www.apnews.com/e6690d5b6e8c496580e2dc0cc78c2f17
the real stuff isn't great, though - particularly given the rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the US. if we had a normal President, Omar would be a much worse position. nobody can came close to him, so lesser ignorance by lower-ranked elected officials get a free pass.
from ABC:
THE FACTS: Omar ignited a bipartisan uproar in Washington and Minnesota during her first weeks in Congress this year when she suggested on Twitter that members of Congress support Israel for money. Many Jewish leaders denounced her remarks as reviving old stereotypes about Jews, money and power.
A few weeks before her “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” tweet, a 2012 tweet surfaced in which she said Israel “hypnotized the world.” She denied anti-Semitism was intended and apologized for both episodes.
...........
from CNN
Omar, a Minnesota congresswoman, tweeted in 2012: "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine #Israel."
The tweet was called anti-Semitic by both Republicans and Democrats when it resurfaced this year.
Omar initially defended it, telling CNN: "I don't know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans. My comments precisely are addressing what was happening during the Gaza War, and I am clearly speaking of the way the Israeli regime was conducting itself in that war."
After the criticism continued, Omar said she had just learned from Jewish organizations that her use of the word "hypnotize," which has a long anti-Semitic history, was offensive.
"It's now apparent to me that I spent lots of energy putting my 2012 tweet in context and little energy is disavowing the anti-semitic trope I unknowingly used, which is unfortunate and offensive," she tweeted.
She emphasized again that she was not attacking the Jewish people, saying, "It is important to distinguish between criticizing a military action by a government and attacking a particular people of faith."
.............
ABC News
WHAT REP. OMAR SAID ABOUT AL QAEDA: In 2013, Omar, then a political activist, appeared on a local Twin Cities current affairs program, "BelAhdan," after the bombing of a Kenyan shopping mall by terror group al-Shabab.
In conversations about how American Muslim communities navigate responding to terror attacks committed by Muslim extremists, the host, Ahmed Tharwat, noted how Arabic names for groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah and al-Shabab are commonly used in the U.S.
"It's very interesting that we keep the Arabic name to such a violent, or negative entity," he said.
"They don't mean anything evil," Omar replied, calling their usage "a product of the sensationalized media."
also ABC:
This spring, "Omar was at a progressive event in Washington where she said pro-Israel activists pushed "allegiance to a foreign country," in an effort to clarify her initial comments.
"I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country," Omar said, immediately prompting criticism that she was evoking stereotypes about "dual loyalty," a trope seen as anti-Semitic but also associated historically with other immigrant groups.
In March, the House passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in response to Omar's comments, though some Democrats were angry that it didn't mention the congresswoman by name. "
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