Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) caused another rift in the Democrat Party this week when she openly compared the United States and Israel to the Taliban and Hamas in a now-deleted tweet.
After an exchange with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, wherein Omar demanded an International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan and Palestine, Omar took to Twitter, saying there have been “unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.”
Lumping those groups together was too much, even for her Democrat colleagues.
“Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided,” a group of Democrats said in a statement on Twitter.
Among the signatories of the statement were high-profile Democrats Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23).
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) posted the statement to his Twitter account.
@RepAuchincloss, @RepTedDeutch, @RepLoisFrankel, @RepJoshG, @RepElaineLuria, @RepKManning, @RepJerryNadler, @RepDeanPhillips, @RepKimSchrier, @BradSherman, @RepDWStweets
We urge Rep Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban pic.twitter.com/KfcnmpLRO6
— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) June 10, 2021
“Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice,” the statement continued. “The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups. We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.”
But Omar is taking a defiant stance.
“It’s shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for ‘clarification’ and not just call,” she said. “The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable.”
It’s shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for “clarification” and not just call.
The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable. https://t.co/37dy2UduW0
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 10, 2021
She also played the victim, accusing Republicans who opposed her statement of Islamophbia.
Omar has often found herself in the middle of scrums within her own party.
Earlier this week, she blasted Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for stating his opposition to a H.R. 1, the controversial election reform bill that will soon come before the Senate.
She also told Senate Democrats to “grow a backbone” and eliminate the filibuster.
Before that, she criticized President Joe Biden when reports surfaced that border wall construction was ongoing.
In 2019, House Democrats also formally condemned Omar for suggesting that U.S. politicians were being pushed to declare “allegiance” to Israel.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
