HBO host Bill Maher pushed back Friday night against those who consider some of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s tweets anti-Semitic.
WATCH:
“She’s under a lot of fire because she was talking about the Jewish lobby AIPAC and said, ‘It’s all about the Benjamins,'” Maher said during a panel segment of his HBO show “Real Time With Bill Maher.” “Now, I probably don’t agree with her a lot about what she feels about Israel and Palestine, but I don’t know why this has to be seen as anti-Semitic. Now, she may be anti-Semitic, but if I criticize Saudi Arabia, that doesn’t mean I’m an Islamophobe.”
“No, it depends, how,” said panelist David Frum. “There are things you could say about Saudi Arabia that would make people raise their eyebrows a little bit.”
Frum took issue with Omar’s defense of the current administration of Venezuela and her “opposing American action” there.
The Minnesota congresswoman’s infamous “Benjamins baby” tweet drew sharp criticism from members of both parties, including Vice President Mike Pence. (RELATED: Omar Retweets Statement Equating Her Israel Comments With Calling Jews ‘Hook-Nosed’)
It’s all about the Benjamins baby ???? https://t.co/KatcXJnZLV
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 10, 2019
Omar issued an apology the next day which did little to satisfy her critics:
Listening and learning, but standing strong ???????? pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019