#StandwithIlhan: Social media users defend Ilhan Omar after her forced apology over anti-Semitism

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Social media users are flocking to #StandwithIlhan after Rep. Ilhan Omar was pressured to issue an apology for her tweets about the Israel lobby’s influence over US politicians, after she was accused of anti-Semitism.

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Omar was seemingly forced to apologize by Democratic leadership after she tweeted about Israeli influence and named the powerful Israel lobbying group AIPAC as having a hold over US politicians.

READ MORE:‘All about the Benjamins’: Ilhan Omar sparks Twitter backlash over ‘anti-Semitic’ post

Although her statements were backed up, Omar faced an onslaught of outrage from a wide range of commenters, from Chelsea Clinton to President Donald Trump, who said she should be “ashamed of herself.” This despite the fact that Trump faced criticism for making anti-Semitic tropes about members of the Republican Jewish Coalition liking money and making deals when he addressed them in 2015.

“I don’t think her apology was adequate,” he unironically said of Omar.

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Omar “unequivocally” apologized for her remarks in a statement which also reaffirmed the problematic role of lobbyists in US politics. This prompted many to accuse her of not apologizing enough, while her supporters expressed disappointment that she was apologizing at all.

READ MORE:‘Sorry, not sorry?’ Ilhan Omar apologizes for ‘anti-Semitic’ tweet, reigniting controversy

Many voicing their support for Omar pointed to American values of freedom of speech and shared a petition urging the Democratic leadership to stand up against “bad faith attacks” targeting Omar even after her apology. Others said they had donated to her campaign.

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Social media users also provided more information to back up Omar’s initial tweets about Israel’s influence, and pointed to disconnects between House Leader Nancy Pelosi’s statement supporting Israel and denouncing “racism, prejudice and discrimination” in light of freedoms not offered to Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

The volume of outrage and cries of anti-Semitism from the US establishment seemed to further bolster Omar’s comments about the sway the Israel lobby holds over elected officials and the country’s two leading political parties.

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Ironically, smearing people as anti-Semites is a tactic employed by the Israel lobby both in the US and theUK, as detailed in two Al Jazeera documentaries which saw an undercover reporter infiltrate both the US and UK lobby to reveal methods employed by the groups. The US version was never aired by Al Jazeera as a result of pressure wrought by the Israel lobby and members of Congress, who accused the network of… anti-Semitism.

One clip from the censored documentary shared on Twitter shows former AIPAC Director Eric Gallagher explaining that “everything AIPAC does is focused on influencing Congress.”

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LABOR UNIONS FEAR ‘GREEN NEW DEAL’ A JOB KILLER

Labor Unions Fear 'Green New Deal' a Job Killer

Unions withhold support for economy-destroying scheme

PHOTOS: MEXICAN FLAGS FLY AT SMALL BETO COUNTER-RALLY AS TRUMP DRAWS THOUSANDS

PHOTOS: Mexican flags fly at small Beto counter-rally as Trump draws thousands

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale took to Twitter to break it down, saying Trump had 8,000 inside, and “tens of thousands outside.”

Mexican flags were waving at the rally of failed Senate candidate Robert “Beto” O’Rourke tonight as he denounced the effort to build a wall to protect America.

Those weren’t the only two. Here’s another:

And another:

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Meanwhile, vendors were hawking 2020 merch for the Beto groupies hoping he’ll run for president.

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And t-shirts:

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Organizers claim there were 7,000 in attendance, but estimates from photos and videos don’t seem to back that up.

President Trump mocked O’Rourke’s attempt to counter his rally. Trump estimated 200-300 people were at the counter-rally.

The President said 35,000 attended his event.

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale took to Twitter to break it down, saying Trump had 8,000 inside, and “tens of thousands outside.”

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BETO: ‘WE STAND FOR AMERICA AND WE STAND AGAINST WALLS’

‘I’m glad the country is here to see us’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

O’ROURKE: “We stand for America and we stand against walls. We know there is no bargain in which we can sacrifice some of our humanity to gain a little of our security. We know that we deserve and will lose both of them if we do. We stand for the best traditions and values of this country. For our fellow humanity and that’s El Paso, Texas. I’m glad the country is here to see us.”

SPLC PREYS ON AMERICAN UNITY

SPLC Preys On American Unity

Liberal attack group helping destroy the First Amendment

 | Infowars.com – FEBRUARY 11, 2019

Since the early 1970s, SPLC founder Morris Dees had fed on the civil rights victory of wrestling down the last remnants of the Democratic Party creation known as the Ku Klux Klan.

The SPLC relied on its wealthy liberal donors, which also lead to the organization’s nine-figure endowment.

But how do you keep the hate fighting money rolling in when Generation X, the children of integration, all got along for the most part?

The culture of racism in America seemed to be on its last leg, so the SPLC just rebranded racism, fueled it with Marxist critical theory and delivered that to the little brothers and sisters of Generation X, the millennials.

As the Washington Free Beacon reported, “The controversial organization reported $477 million in total assets and $132 million in contributions on its most recent tax forms, which cover Nov. 1, 2016 to Oct. 31, 2017. That represents an increase of $140 million in its total assets from the previous year.”

And here we are, up to our necks in divide and conquer hysteria.

In the midst of it, Proud Boys founder, political commentator and Generation Xer Gavin McInness has had enough.

THE RASHIDA TLAIB’S LOUIS FARRAKHAN CONNECTION

By Peter Hasson

  • Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib wrote a column for Nation of Islam publication Final Call in 2006.

  • Final Call was founded by Louis Farrakhan and is “the official communications organ of the Nation of Islam.”

  • Farrakhan is a notorious anti-Semite who has described Jews as “satanic” and praised Hitler as a “very great man.”

  • Tlaib has already faced scrutiny over other ties to anti-Semitism.

Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib in 2006 wrote an op-ed column for Final Call, a Nation of Islam publication founded by Louis Farrakhan, in the latest tie to emerge between the congresswoman and anti-Semitic figures.

Tlaib authored the column in 2006, while working as the advocacy coordinator for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), two years before she first won election to the state legislature. Tlaib was described as a “guest columnist” in the article, which argued against deporting immigrants found guilty of “minor offenses.”

Final Call describes itself as “the official communications organ of the Nation of Islam” and was founded by the group’s leader, Farrakhan, according to Final Call’s website.

Farrakhan’s history of unapologetic anti-Semitism including describing Jews as “satanic” and praising Hitler as a “very great man,” was well established by 2006.

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Final Call has published a steady stream of articles defending Farrakhan from charges of anti-Semitism.

An October 2018 Final Call article quoted Farrakhan’s social media director, Jesse Muhammad, saying the backlash was proof that Farrakhan “must have sprayed some form of termite repellant that stirred up those that have practiced and continue to practice Talmudic ways by eating at the foundation and the carcass of a dead people chosen by God.”

Tlaib’s office did not immediately return a request for comment. Conservative writer Jeryl Bier on Monday first noted Tlaib’s Final Call oped.

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Tlaib has already come under fire for her ties to other anti-Israel radicals, as well as her support for the anti-Israel Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) movement, which has often overlapped with anti-Semitic causes.

A key fundraiser for Tlaib’s 2018 congressional campaign, Abdel-qader Maher, repeatedly promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on Facebook, both on his own page and within a Facebook group that includes Tlaib.

Abdel-qader took credit on Facebook for organizing fundraisers for Tlaib among Arab-Americans, pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars for her campaign. Photos he’s posted on social media show him speaking at Tlaib campaign events.

Tlaib also came under fire after posing for a picture with Palestinian activist Abbas Hamideh, a supporter of Hezbollah who believes Israel shouldn’t exist, at her swearing-in ceremony.

Tlaib claimed she didn’t know him, though she had previously posted a picture with him on Facebook.  (RELATED: Maxine Waters Attended Nation of Islam Convention Where Farrakhan Defended Suicide Bombers)

Women’s March co-chair Linda Sarsour was an early supporter of Tlaib, who has continued to support Sarsour’s organization, despite its own anti-Semitism issues. Sarsour and another co-chair, Tamika Mallory, have faced scrutiny over their support of Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.

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Sarsour was unapologetic about the Farrakhan controversy less than two weeks ago, in a taped podcast with left-wing media outlet Democracy Now.

Sarsour lashed out at critics of her support for Farrakhan, and called for “accountability” within “our communities” because “we made Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour and Minister Farrakhan literally the whole story instead of focusing on the real threats to our communities, which is white nationalism.”

Sarsour then suggested that Jewish people had mishandled the controversy, and urged them to have “hard conversations” in order to avoid “imposing [their] trauma” on others:

So, what I’m, we have been asked and demanded of many things. And we have came out and said we understand and we hear the pain. And I understand. I’ve been working with Jews for over 20 years. I understand historical trauma. And a lot of this comes from historical, the reasons why people backlash is because they respond from a place of trauma. Black people have historical trauma. Lots of people have historical trauma. But we have to sometimes go back to our communities and say, “Let’s heal. Let’s find ways to deal with this trauma so that we’re not imposing our trauma on others who are also traumatized, and focusing on the people that are causing the trauma to our communities.”

(ANOTHER DEMOCRAT!) – REP. ILHAN OMAR GOES ON ANTI-SEMITIC TWITTER RAMPAGE; ADVOCACY GROUP DEMANDS APOLOGY

Rep. Ilhan Omar Goes on Anti-Semitic Twitter Rampage; Advocacy Group Demands Apology

She accused deep-pocketed Jews of buying American politicians and retweeted a post calling Jews ‘hook nosed’

By Tom Elliott

Democrats’ freshmen class of lawmakers are providing the party with a new source of passion — and a lot of headaches.

A series of tweets sent Sunday night from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are another addition for the latter category.

The tweets began after a writer for the Intercept, Glenn Greenwald, posted a story about Rep. Kevin McCarthy “threatening punishment” of Rep. Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) “over their criticisms of Israel.” (As CNN’s Jake Tapper noted, McCarthy’s comments were actually directed at “what he sees as anti-Semitic rhetoric from Reps. Omar and Tlaib.”)

Rep. Omar responded to Greenwald’s post with, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby”:

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The insinuation that Jewish interests were compelling Rep. McCarthy’s actions prompted some to ask Rep. Omar for clarification.

When a writer for the Forward asked, “Would love to know who Omar thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel,” Rep. Omar responded: “AIPAC!”

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As a 501(c))4), the American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC) does not actually make contributions to politicians.

Omar later re-tweeted a Jewish writer who described himself as not generally sympathetic to Israel, but felt Rep. Omar’s attacks on Jews were akin to calling “us hook-nosed.” 

Rep. Omar subsequently deleted her retweet, apparently not having realized the post was calling her anti-Semitic. However, some online captured her retweet before it was taken down:

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Rep. Omar’s tweets were promptly condemned among Jewish advocacy groups. AIPAC responded: “We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work.”

The American Jewish Committee called her tweets “stunningly anti-Semitic.” 

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Her comments also drew scorn from her fellow Democrats. Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) wrote, “When someone uses hateful and offensive tropes and words against people of any faith, I will not be silent. Congresswoman Omar’s statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself.” 

“Implying that Americans support Israel because of money alone is offensive enough,” Rose’s statement continued. “But to go a step further, and retweet someone declaring their parent at her sentiment is simply unacceptable. At a time when anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise, our leaders should not be invoking hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel.” 

“In the Democratic Party — and in the United States of America — we celebrate the diversity of our people, and the God we pray to, as a strength,” he said. “The Congresswoman’s statements do not live up to that cherished ideal.”

In response to the escalating anger over her tweets, Rep. Omar said she’s the victim of “smears.” After Chelsea Clinton said “we have to call out anti-Semitic language and tropes on all sides, particularly in our elected officials and particularly now,” Rep. Omar responded:

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The freshman lawmaker then began retweeting a series of people who said her comments about Jews were not anti-Semitic.

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This is not Rep. Omar’s first time being accused of trafficking in anti-Semitic tropes. Before entering Congress, she wrote that Israel “hypnotized the world,” comments she later said she didn’t understand why Jews found offensive. More recently Rep. Omar used Holocaust Remembrance Day to downplay the Holocaust.

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