Posted on 01/22/19
| News Source: MATZAV
Rep. Ilhan Omar expressed regret for saying in a 2012 tweet that “Israel has hypnotized the world” while doing “evil,” saying she had not realized her words would be offensive to Jewish people.
Omar responded in a series of tweets early Tuesday to New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss, who had written a column criticizing the freshman lawmaker after Omar defended her remarks in an interview, saying, “Those unfortunate words were the only ones I could think about expressing at that moment.”
Hi @bariweiss,
You are correct when you say,
“Perhaps Ms. Omar is sincerely befuddled and not simply deflecting”
“In all sincerity, it was after my CNN interview that I heard from Jewish orgs. that my use of the word ‘Hypnotize’ and the ugly sentiment it holds was offensive,” Omar wrote in a tweet directed at Weiss.
“It’s now apparent to me that I spent lots of energy putting my 2012 tweet in context and little energy is disavowing the anti-semitic trope I unknowingly used, which is unfortunate and offensive,” Omar wrote.
“With that said, it is important to distinguish between criticizing a military action by a government and attacking a particular people of faith,” Omar wrote. “I will not shy away of criticism of any government when I see injustice — whether it be Saudi Arabia, Somalia, even our own government!”
Read more at The Hill.