A top staff member of the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders issued an apology Tuesday for invoking “a dual negligence” of Jewish Americans while defending Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Fox News informed.
Belen Sisa, Sanders’ national deputy press secretary, was discussing the term seen anti-Semitic in a Facebook thread over the weekend, and argued that questioning it was legitimate, Politico informed.
“This is a serious question: do you not think that the American government and American Jewish community has a dual allegiance to the state of Israel? I’m asking not to rule out the history of this issue, but in the context in which this was said by Ilhan,” Sisa wrote.
After she was asked by other Facebook user if her boss, who is also Jewish, has “dual loyalty,” she gave an answer “I think I would probably have to ask him? But his comments make me believe other wise as he has been very blunt on where he stands.”
After politico confronted her about her comments she immediately removed her Facebok posts, and issued an apology.
“In a conversation on Facebook, I used some language that I see now was insensitive. Issues of allegiance and loyalty to one’s country come with painful history,” Sisa told Politico. “At a time when so many communities in our country feel under attack by the president and his allies, I absolutely recognize that we need to address these issues with greater care and sensitivity to their historical resonance, and I’m committed to doing that in the future.”
Last week, the House of Representatives approved an anti-hate resolution prompted by Omar’s recent suggestions that Israel supporters want U.S. lawmakers to pledge “allegiance” to the Jewish state. This was immediately condemned as echoing the age-old “dual loyalties” smear against Jewish politicians. The resolution did not mention the freshman congresswoman by name.
Sanders’ campaign did not make a response to Fox News’ at the request for comment.
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