Activism
Not All Of Ilhan Omar’s Supporters Are Anti-Semites But All Anti-Semites Support Ilhan Omar
Saturday as the controversial Representative from Minnesota was preparing for yet another CAIR address, the Somali born Omar was tuning her anti-Semitic dog whistle on Twitter. Leon G. Cooperman, a Jewish born Polish immigrant turned Billionaire announced his support of Michael Bloomberg's Presidential bid on Friday which drew a peculiar response from Omar the following day.
Is it possible the Freshmen Rep. was simply making the point that billionaires support billionaires? Sure, but with a history of unrepentant anti-Semitic remarks as long as Omar's, how long before we can safely identify someone with racist views as what they are, an anti-Semitic racist without being branded Islamaphobic?
In 2012, Omar was a Minnesota Department of Education employee and tweeted: “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
Earlier this year, Omar responded to a tweet from journalist Glenn Greenwald, who posted about House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy threatening to punish Omar and another congresswoman for being critical of Israel.
Omar tweeted back, “It's all about the Benjamins baby”
Shortly after, the Twitter Sultana named the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, saying it was funding Republican support for Israel. She continued her ignorant and hate filled diarrhea-like anti-semetic diatribe weeks later when she was quoted to of said this at a DC bookstore event:
“I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. I want to ask why is it OK for me to talk about the influence of the NRA (National Rifle Association), of fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policies?”
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Like any good dog whistle tactic this one may leave many readers scratching their head. This is because dangerous rhetoric like this and other things she has said is only meant for the ears of those that are meant to consume it.
Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas explained the problematic nature of the bookstore remarks on MPR News' Morning Edition by saying:
“Omar was suggesting Jews have “dual loyalty” in this case for the U.S. and Israel.” “Accusing Jews of harboring dual loyalty has a long, violent, sordid history,” he said. “It's the standard fare of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. It's difficult and dangerous because it evokes the Jews as the malevolent other, conspiring against society.”
Critics on both the left and right jumped on the tweest and said Omar was calling up a negative and harmful stereotype of Jewish Americans. This series of tweets as well as other bizarre remarks by Omar and her allies lead to a bi-partisan House Resolution aimed at condemning “anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and other forms of bigotry”
However, as you may have guessed, not everyone was upset by Omar's remarks. Fellow “squad” member Rasheeda Tlaib took to Twitter to express her support for the damsel in distress.
The only thing interesting about Tlaib supporting Omar is her crowning of Omar as a “Civil Rights Icon”. If none of Omar's remarks were meant to be “shots” at Israel and those of Jewish faith, why did Tlaib mention “oppressive policies” and that she “uplifts Palestinians”?
Don't forget, it was the anti-Semitic language that Omar used in these examples and others that lead to former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke proclaiming Ilhan Omar the “the most important member of the U.S. Congress” in March of this year.
Fastforward to Omar's most recent tweet. Was she implying that Leon Cooperman was supporting Bloomberg because of their shared faith or was she merely conecting them as billionaires? Honestly, only she knows the truth, but ones past will typically predict their future.
IF Omar was simply making the billionaire connection, there were a lot clearer ways of doing that. Elizabeth Warren chose to make the billionaire connection and as you can see, for someone that despises billionaires and chooses to leave Religious beliefs out of it, it's pretty easy.
When hate doesn't fill your heart, it's easy Ilhan.
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