Politics

Ilhan Omar Says She ‘Wasn’t Aware’ Of Age-Old Antisemitic Tropes

(Screenshot, Rumble, CNN)

James Lynch Investigative Reporter
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Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar admitted she “wasn’t aware” of longtime Jewish stereotypes in response to accusations of antisemitism.

She was interviewed Sunday alongside Democratic California Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

Omar was asked about the lessons she learned from her “all about the Benjamins” tweet in February 2019 about congressional lawmakers allegedly taking bribes from Israel. (RELATED: Ilhan Omar Continues To Spend Thousands On Private Security Despite Calls To Defund The Police)

“I certainly did not or was not aware that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been [a] very enlightening part of this journey,” Omar said. “To insinuate that I knowingly said these things when people have read into my comments to make it sound as if I have something against the Jewish community is so wrong.”

Omar’s comment about Israel was widely condemned for being anti-semitic. She apologized after she was rebuked by Democratic leadership for “deeply offensive” language. “Antisemitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of antisemitic tropes,” Omar said in her apology.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has pledged to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her comments about Israel. Three House Republicans have come out against the measure, potentially preventing the majority vote needed to remove Omar from the committee.

McCarthy removed Schiff and Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee. “I cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security,” McCarthy said in a letter to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Schiff announced a run for Senate shortly after he was removed from the committee.