Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rebuked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) while speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington via satellite on Tuesday, exclaiming, “From this Benjamin: It’s not about the Benjamins!”
Omar, who did not attend the conference, had accused the pro-Israeli lobby of paying politicians to support Israel. Her tweet in February, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” was seen as an anti-Semitic trope about Jews using money to control governments. She later apologized for what she said.
“Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” the freshman lawmaker said in a statement. “My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole.”
Omar on Tuesday snapped back at Netanyahu’s remark in a Twitter post that attempted to delegitimize him by highlighting the corruption charges he’s expected to face. Those looming charges on bribery and breach of trust involving his alleged acceptance of gifts from billionaires come as he competes for re-election next month.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also appeared to take a shot at Omar at the AIPAC conference, telling the audience on Monday: “When someone suggests that money drives support for Israel, we must call it out.”
“You can be a Jew and care about Israel and it doesn’t make you any less of an American. You can be a Jew and lobby for Israel and it doesn’t make you any less of an American,” he said.
Schumer also called out President Donald Trump ’s characterization of those who attended a deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, back in 2017.
“When someone looks at a neo-Nazi rally and sees some ‘very fine people’ among its company, we must call it out,” he said.
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