Press Releases
(Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
We call on the House leadership to publicly rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) for her anti-Semitic tweets implying pro-Israel lawmakers are paid by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Members of Congress are pro-Israel because the constituents they represent, like Americans across the country, overwhelmingly support the Jewish state.
Omar, in a tweet responding to far-left journalist Glenn Greenwald, wrote “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” in reference to Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California)’s stated intent to censure both Omar and controversial lawmaker Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), who has also made anti-Israel comments.
When Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor for the Jewish newspaper The Forward, responded that she “would love to know who [Omar] thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel” and accused Omar of tweeting an “anti-Semitic trope,” Omar responded not with an apology but by tweeting “AIPAC!”
Trafficking in the worst sort of anti-Semitic canards has become Omar’s stock in trade. As a supporter of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, she has already shown her willingness to subject Israel to a behavioral double standard that she does not apply to any other country. Instead of recognizing that most Americans are pro-Israel due to their own deeply held values, she accuses them of being bribed or hypnotized into disagreeing with her; in 2012, Omar tweeted “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
Her anti-Israel stance is merely political cover for her anti-Semitic beliefs.
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
We call on the House leadership to publicly rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) for her anti-Semitic tweets implying pro-Israel lawmakers are paid by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Members of Congress are pro-Israel because the constituents they represent, like Americans across the country, overwhelmingly support the Jewish state.
Omar, in a tweet responding to far-left journalist Glenn Greenwald, wrote “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” in reference to Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California)’s stated intent to censure both Omar and controversial lawmaker Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), who has also made anti-Israel comments.
When Batya Ungar-Sargon, the opinion editor for the Jewish newspaper The Forward, responded that she “would love to know who [Omar] thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel” and accused Omar of tweeting an “anti-Semitic trope,” Omar responded not with an apology but by tweeting “AIPAC!”
Trafficking in the worst sort of anti-Semitic canards has become Omar’s stock in trade. As a supporter of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, she has already shown her willingness to subject Israel to a behavioral double standard that she does not apply to any other country. Instead of recognizing that most Americans are pro-Israel due to their own deeply held values, she accuses them of being bribed or hypnotized into disagreeing with her; in 2012, Omar tweeted “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
Her anti-Israel stance is merely political cover for her anti-Semitic beliefs.
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
