Rep. Ilhan Omar is once again under fire, this time for stating she was unaware of “Jewish money stereotypes,” prompting a spokesman for Sen. Ted Cruz to exclaim, “Give me a break.”
Omar (D-Minn.), who was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, attempted to defend herself in a CNN interview on Sunday against allegations that she had made anti-Semitic remarks in the past.
“I certainly did not know that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope, nor was I aware that it was one. I was unaware that there are stereotypes regarding Jews and money. This has been a very enlightening part of my journey,” Omar said on the CNN program “State of the Union.”
“It is so wrong to imply that I knowingly said these things when people have interpreted my remarks to imply that I have something against the Jewish community,” she continued.
Omar, the first Somali-American and one of the first Muslims to be elected to Congress, once compared the Jewish state to terrorist groups such as Hamas and the Taliban and stated that the relationship between Israel and the United States is “all about the Benjamins.”
Twitter users were not receptive to Omar’s explanation.
Ilhan Omar used an antisemitic trope in 2012, after which she claimed to have learned everything she knows about antisemitism from Jewish organizations. She subsequently hired one in 2019,” Avi Mayer, the former managing director of public relations and senior spokesperson for the American Jewish Committee, wrote on the social media platform.
Rep. Ilhan Omar was criticized on Twitter after she attempted to explain that she was unaware of “jewish money stereotypes.”
“But she didn’t realize there are stereotypes about Jews and money?” he asked, referencing her CNN interview.
Cruz’s special communications advisor, Steve Guest, was flabbergasted.
“Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar claimed on CNN that she was unaware that the word ‘hypnotized’ is a cliche and that there are cliches regarding Jews and money. I need a break. “That’s nonsense,” he tweeted.
Omar tweeted in 2012, “Israel has hypnotized the world; may Allah awaken the people and help them recognize Israel’s evil deeds.” #Gaza #Palestine #Israel.”
A human rights activist, Hananya Naftali, accused Omar of lying.
“Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is not only anti-Semitic, but also a terrible liar.
“Omar discovered that if she focuses on ‘Israel’ and ‘Zionists’ instead of ‘Jews,’ she can promote the same blood libels without appearing to be a blatant neo-Nazi like Kanye,” he claimed.
Along with Omar, McCarthy ousted Californian Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from their positions on the House Intelligence Committee.
»“Give me a break”: Ilhan Omar’s critics claim to be unaware of “Jewish money stereotypes.”«