After igniting harsh criticism from Republicans and prominent Jewish Democrats with her tweet earlier this week, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar issued a mea culpa Thursday in attempt to “clarify” statment comparing the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban.
Omar said that the conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken was about accountability for specific incidents regarding those ICC cases, not a moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the U.S. and Israel, pointing that she was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.
Omar set off the backlash tweeting that America should be held accountable and stood before the justice for all its victims and the crimes against humanity, pointing at U.S. and Israel as culprits for “unthinkable atrocities” in the same way as the terrorist organizations are for the crimes committed.
Omar also asked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken where should people to go to seek justice with regards to the unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
Her tweet prompted sharp pushback from pro-Israel lawmakers with 12 Jewish Democrats led by Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) releasing joint statement condemning her equating the US and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban as offensive and misguided.
Her tweet also initiated a wave of GOP attacks led by the House GOP’s campaign arm, the NRCC, with Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy escalating the call for action against Omar before she released her clarification, calling her anti-Semitic & anti-American comments abhorrent.
He also shifted the attention toward Pelosi’s continued failure to address the issues in her caucus, sending message to the world that Democrats are tolerant of anti-Semitism and sympathizing with terrorists.
The clarification came as a result of the firestorm of criticism and on demand from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leaders of the Democratic Party, who later praised Omar for her clarification, but also said any rhetoric comparing the U.S. to terrorist organizations should be condemned.
Although Omar initially blasted the leadership rebuke, accusing her own party’s leaders of harassment and islamophobia, ate the end she opted to recant her comments. Yet, her clarification apparently wasn’t enough for some Republicans who still want action.
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