Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is having quite a week. She went on a little anti-Semitic Twitter spree which was so offensive that it earned her rebuke from Democrat leaders and led to a forced and awkward apology.
Now Linda Sarsour, who has her own issues on this topic, is coming to her defense.
Caleb Howe writes at Mediaite:
Linda Sarsour Attacks AIPAC in Defense of Rep. Ilhan OmarPro-Palestine activist and Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour weighed in on the controversy over comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar, in which the Minnesota Democrat mocked the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in tweets described by many as blatantly anti-Semitic.Sarsour has herself been the subject of similar accusations over her activism and, along with other members of the Women’s March leadership, the association with and support for anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.“I will not be silent in the face of attacks, harassment and targeted policing of speech from a Black Muslim woman elected official, our sister Ilhan Omar in the name of combatting antisemitism,” Sarsour wrote in her closing on Facebook.Most of the post was written as a defense of attacking AIPAC, without recognition of the specific tweet that prompted the most responses, including one from former first daughter Chelsea Clinton.
Here’s an excerpt from Sarsour’s Facebook post:
AIPAC is one of the most influential lobbies in American politics – alongside the NRA (maybe not anymore), fossil fuel industry and big pharmaceuticals.AIPAC is a lobbying organization. Here is the definition of lobby from the DICTIONARY:“a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue.”AIPAC connects donors to campaigns and elected officials. Trying to argue that critiquing the role of AIPAC which let’s be clear is not a Jewish organization, many of its leaders and members are Christian Zionists – is antisemitic is ludicrous.Antisemitism is REAL. Antisemitism can harm people as we see in hate crimes against visible Jewish Americans. Antisemitism can be lethal as we witnessed in the horrific attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue.Critiques of the State of Israel ARE NOT antisemitic. Calling out AIPAC is not antisemitic.
This sums it up pretty well:
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