Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) apologized for previous comments she made referencing Jewish stereotypes that prompted an outcry from several Republicans and even some members of her own party who accused her of antisemitism.
“When that was brought to my attention, I apologized. I owned up to it,” Omar told CNN on Sunday. “That’s the kind of person that I am, and I continue to work with my colleagues and my community to fight against antisemitism.”
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Omar has previously come under fire for comments she made, including a tweet she posted in 2012 saying “Israel has hypnotized the world” while committing “evil doings.” The Minnesota Democrat once again came under scrutiny in February 2019 when she suggested that U.S. support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins,” referencing money. Omar later deleted the tweet and apologized.
Those comments, along with other remarks that critics have slammed as antisemitic, prompted an outcry among Republicans — eventually leading to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s pledge to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in an upcoming vote.
Omar has denounced McCarthy’s efforts to strip her of her committee assignments, accusing the speaker of making that decision out of bigotry. Going further, Omar defended her previous statements, noting she was unaware at the time that they were offensive.
“I certainly did not, or was not aware, that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been a very enlightening part of this journey,” Omar said. “To insinuate that I knowingly said these things when people have read into my comments to make it sound as if I have something against the Jewish community is so wrong.”
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Although McCarthy has vowed to remove Omar from her committee assignments, that may be easier said than done. To remove Omar from her position, the full House must pass a resolution agreeing to do so — sending Democrats into a scramble to defend her assignment.
Republicans hold a 222-213 majority in the House, meaning they can only afford to lose four votes to pass the resolution without any Democrats. That could prove challenging for McCarthy, as some Democrats are reportedly lobbying GOP members on the Foreign Affairs panel to oppose her removal.
