Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, representing Minnesota, was recently approached by Fox News congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie regarding her controversial comments about Jews and “pro-genocide.”
When asked about her remarks during a press conference, Omar chose to ignore the questions and shushed Hasnie while making her way to the event.
This exchange comes after Omar’s visit to Columbia University’s anti-Israel encampment, where she was asked to comment on the increasing instances of antisemitism faced by Jewish students on college campuses. Her response has sparked outrage and condemnation from various individuals and organizations.
Omar stated that she met with Jewish students in the encampment and that she believes it is important for all Jewish students, whether they support genocide or not, to be kept safe. This statement has been deemed as “patently false” and a “blood libel” by the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt.
“So I met a lot of Jewish students who were in the encampment,” Omar stated. “And I think it is really unfortunate that people don’t care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe and that we should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”
Greenblatt also denounced Omar’s claim that any Jewish student is “pro-genocide,” calling it a form of gaslighting and a dangerous accusation that could lead to violence against the Jewish community.
“It is gaslighting to impute that Jewish people are somehow at fault for being harassed and menaced with signs and slogans literally calling for their own extermination,” Greenblatt wrote on X. “It is abhorrent that a sitting member of Congress would slander an entire group of young people in such a cold, calculated manner. This is how people get killed.”
Watch this clip. It features @IlhanMN walking through @Columbia proclaiming that “Jewish students… should not have to tolerate antisemitism… whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”
It is patently false and a blood libel to suggest that ANY Jewish students are… pic.twitter.com/XbP5J4VspE
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 28, 2024
Even Omar’s Democratic colleague, Rep. Jared Moskowitz from Florida, has spoken out against her comments, accusing her of “pouring gasoline” on the growing issue of antisemitism. He also mentioned his own Jewish children and questioned whether they could be labeled as “pro-genocide” or “anti-genocide” due to their religious beliefs.
“We have members in this body pouring gasoline on that by saying Jews fall into two buckets: pro-genocide and anti-genocide,” Moskowitz said on MSNBC earlier in the day. “I mean, I got I got a ten-year-old and seven-year-old Jewish children, I don’t know if they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide. I guess I’ll talk to them about that.”
Republican Rep. Don Bacon from Nebraska is reportedly considering a censure against Omar due to her remarks, stating that it is wrong to blame Jewish-American students for the actions of the Israeli government. He also emphasized that protesting against Israel is different from targeting Jewish individuals.
While Omar’s comments have caused controversy and outrage, she has not issued a statement or explanation regarding her remarks. This incident has once again brought attention to the ongoing issue of antisemitism and the responsibility of public figures.
