Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar shared her stance on how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, during a Thursday morning interview on The Intercept’s podcast “Deconstructed.”
“What is your actual position on a ‘solution to the conflict?’ Are you for a two-state solution or are you, as a lot of people on the left, a lot of progressive Jews, a lot of Palestinians now calling for a secular Democratic one-state solution in the Middle East? Where do you stand on that?” Mehdi Hasan, the host, asked.
“I believe in a two-state solution. I think it is important for there to be the existence of two states that allow both of the peoples that are involved to have their own sanctuaries, their own states,” Omar answered. (RELATED: Zeldin Disputes Omar’s Claims That She Fights Against Anti-Semitism)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 15: U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks to media outside the US Capitol on January 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
“Now, if there are Palestinians and Israelis that are interested in having a one-state solution that involves both of them, then that is a decision that they get to make and something that they get to advocate for,” she continued. “But I’m not one that sees there to be a solution that will involve one. I think the only solution that works right now is to advocate for two.”
Since Omar was elected to Congress, she has made headlines for statements pertaining to the conflict. Most recently, Omar was caught deleting three tweets earlier this that sparked backlash.
The oldest tweet she deleted was posted in November 2012, which read, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel #Gaza #Palestine #Israel.”
Omar repeatedly defended this tweet in interviews with Christiane Amanpour and on CNN. She later apologized for it, saying she “unknowingly” used an anti-Semitic trope. (RELATED: House Overwhelmingly Approves Motion To Condemn Anti-Semitism Amid Omar Fallout)
Earlier this month, Omar sparked another controversy for two tweets that suggested the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) bought congressional support for Israel. The tweet gained significant backlash from across the political aisle and were also deleted.
