Tag: Ilhan Omar

Omar Meets With Daughter of Jailed Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Calls for Her Release

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) posted a picture Tuesday on Twitter after hosting a meeting to discuss “Hoda Abdelmonem, a political prisoner in Egypt.” “I hope that Trump brings up her case in his meeting with the regime that has imprisoned her. We must work to #FreeHoda,” Omar said. I recently met with @jkbadawy and @thefreedomi to talk about Hoda Abdelmonem, a political prisoner in Egypt. I hope that Trump brings up her case in his meeting with the regime that has imprisoned her. We must work to #FreeHoda. pic.twitter.com/3KMPNd4Kfb — Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) April 2, 2019 Abdelmonem, however, has been identified in numerous reports as a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. She was arrested in November along with Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater on allegations of membership in a terrorist organization, according to Reuters. Reuters identified Abdelmonem as a “60-year-old lawyer and Brotherhood member.” After her arrest, her family met with her at a state security prosecution office and said in a statement that they were “shocked to find that Hoda, a 60-year-old mother and grandmother, was in a dire health condition with clear signs of weight loss, psychological trauma, severe signs of instability and shock.”…

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Tim Walz Spoke at Event Sponsored by Group Accused of Terror Connections

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke Thursday at an event sponsored by Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at Metropolitan State University. As The Minnesota Sun has reported, CAIR was listed by the Department of Justice as an unindicted co-conspirator in funding millions of dollars to Hamas, a terrorist organization. The United Arab Emirates listed CAIR as a terrorist organization along with al-Qaeda and ISIS. A recent online petition called on Attorney General William Barr to investigative Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) for their ties to CAIR. “There’s no doubt that Tlaib and Omar have close-knit ties with Hamas-affiliated CAIR and we, as concerned citizens, call on Attorney General and U.S. Special Envoy for Antisemitism to investigate these ties,” the petition states. After his Thursday event, Walz specifically thanked CAIR for “putting on this event” on how to “challenge Islamophobia.” Hate and Islamophobia have no place in Minnesota. When our Muslim communities thrive, Minnesota thrives. Thank you to @CAIRMN and @Choose_Metro for putting on this event yesterday to address how to challenge Islamophobia. pic.twitter.com/WCctWr9KCZ — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) March 29, 2019 “Hate and Islamophobia have no place in Minnesota. When our Muslim communities thrive,…

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Top Ranking Democrat Slams Ilhan Omar’s Comments During AIPAC Speech: ‘I Stand With Israel, Proudly and Unapologetically’

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by Molly Prince   House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer defended the American-Israeli alliance on Sunday, taking aim at Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar for her repeated anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements. “I am an American who believes passionately in the idea of Israel, in the State of Israel, and in the essential right of Jews to have a place of sanctuary in their homeland after millennia of hatred, prejudice, exclusion, dehumanization, and attempted annihilation,” Hoyer said during a speech at American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) 2019 conference. “The State of Israel, founded upon that profound and transcendent premise, must never be allowed to fail.” Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, explained that he is not Jewish and neither are the majority of his constituents, but that he has traveled to Israel multiple times and witnessed firsthand “the courage of its people and their enduring spirit to make their country flourish.” “I stand with Israel, proudly and unapologetically. So, when someone accuses American supporters of Israel of dual loyalty, I say: accuse me,” the Maryland representative continued. “I am part of a large, bipartisan coalition in Congress supporting Israel. I tell Israel’s detractors: accuse us. And millions of Americans, regardless…

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Omar Erupts After Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Calls Her Out

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter Tuesday after he indirectly singled her out during his televised address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in Washington. Omar faced significant backlash for her February criticisms of AIPAC when she said it’s “all about the Benjamins, baby,” and suggested that AIPAC’s money was to blame for American support of Israel. Then, during a town hall at a Washington, D.C. coffee shop, Omar said she wants to “talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.” The comments were widely rebuked for invoking the anti-Semitic dual-loyalty trope, which Netanyahu addressed during his Tuesday speech. “In recent weeks, we’ve heard a lot of about the rise of forces who want to pull America and Israel apart. So I can tell you one thing, I can guarantee this: they will fail. They will fail. Our shared values are too deep, our shared interests too strong, our shared destiny too intertwined,” Netanyahu said. “Those who seek to defame this great organization, AIPAC, those who seek to undermine American support for Israel,…

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Jewish Org Calls for Investigation of Reps. Omar and Tlaib’s Ties to CAIR

Anthony Gockowski

A trending online petition calls on U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Special Envoy for Antisemitism Elan Carr to investigate Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and their ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The petition, which had more than 12,000 signatures at the time of publication, was started by Stop Antisemitism and describes CAIR’s connections to the terrorist organization Hamas. “In 2007, CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case that found Holy Land Foundation responsible for siphoning over $12 million to Hamas,” the petition states. It goes on to describe Omar and Tlaib’s connections to CAIR, noting that it has “provided thousands of dollars directly and indirectly to support the campaigns of Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib – both of whom have received awards and recognition by the organization.” “There’s no doubt that Tlaib and Omar have close-knit ties with Hamas-affiliated CAIR and we, as concerned citizens, call on Attorney General and U.S. Special Envoy for Antisemitism to investigate these ties,” the petition concludes. Liora Rez, co-founder of Stop Antisemitism, told The Jerusalem Post that her organization is “very excited” by the traction the petition has received in just over a week.…

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Minnesota’s Rep. Ilhan Omar Blames Trump for New Zealand Massacre During CAIR Fundraiser While Hundreds Protest Outside

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) spoke Saturday at a fundraiser for the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) while hundreds of protesters gathered outside the event. Omar was the keynote speaker for CAIR’s Fourth Annual Valley Banquet in Los Angeles focused on “advancing justice” and “empowering Valley Muslims,” according to an event invitation. As The Daily Caller explains, the U.S. Department of Justice found CAIR to be a co-conspirator in funneling millions of dollars to Hamas. Its leaders have a history of making sympathetic comments about terrorist organizations, such as one comment from Hassan Shibly, chief executive director of CAIR-Florida, who suggested that Hezbollah and Hamas aren’t terrorist organizations. Shibly spoke alongside Omar during Saturday’s fundraiser. During her remarks, Omar blamed President Donald Trump for the recent massacre at Christchurch mosque in New Zealand, according to audio obtained by Gateway Pundit. “We all kind of knew this was happening, but the reason I think that many of us knew that this was going to get worse is that we finally have a leader, a world leader in the White House, who publicly says Islam hates us—who fuels hate against Muslims, who thinks it is OK to speak about a faith and…

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Commentary: The Real Islamophobia

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by Rabbi Yaakov Menken   While attending a vigil for the shooting victims at two New Zealand mosques last Friday evening, a visibly pregnant Chelsea Clinton was accosted by a pair of left-wing “activists.” The two specifically blamed Clinton for the atrocity. This was a stunning charge. In his 72-page manifesto, the shooter, an Australian national and self-described “eco-fascist” who had previously worked at a gym, never referred to Clinton. Unlike her parents, she has never been much of a polarizing figure. So what was the basis of the accusation that she instigated this evil? The “activists” explained in an opinion column for BuzzFeed: Clinton had “stoked” Islamophobia with her “rhetoric,” having encouraged “a bigoted, anti-Muslim mob coming after Rep. Ilhan Omar for speaking the truth.” According to these activists, Omar did not need to apologize for her vicious and repeated anti-Semitic attacks upon Jews, Israelis, all Americans who support Israel, and her colleagues in the U.S. Congress. On the contrary, they claimed, it was Clinton who needed to apologize—for having condemned anti-Semitic expression with no reference to Omar’s race or religion. But the undeserved tongue-lashing Clinton received does not compare to the fate of Jeanine Pirro. In her opening…

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Ilhan Omar Played on Her Phone, Laughed as House Voted on Resolution Sparked by Her Anti-Semitic Comments: Report

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar played on her phone in the back of the chamber as the House of Representatives voted on the resolution that was intended as a reprimand for the congresswoman’s anti-Semitic comments, according to a report published Friday. The House passed a resolution March 7 that initially served to condemn a series of anti-Semitic statements Omar made, but was subsequently “watered down” to condemn hatred in all forms. The resolution was in response to the age-old canards about Jews that Omar had asserted over Twitter, including a claim that Republicans’ support for Israel is bought by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Many also interpreted her comments as Jews having a “dual loyalty” to the U.S. and Israel. The text of the resolution, which passed 407-23, did not mention Omar by name. During the vote, Omar was reportedly playing on her phone and was “seemingly oblivious to the remarkable rebuke being leveled at her,” according to Politico. She was reportedly standing alone in the back of the room until fellow Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington entered the chamber, where they “embraced and soon doubled over in laughter.” “She came up to…

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Minnesota House Democrats Introduce Bill to Lower Voting Age to 16 for Local Elections

Anthony Gockowski

Two Minneapolis House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections. The bill, House File 2423, proposes an amendment to the State Constitution that would allow a “county, municipality, or school district” to “lower the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections.” “A person under the age of 18 may only vote for offices and ballot questions for the jurisdiction that has adopted the lower voting age. A person under the age of 18 must not be allowed to vote for any state or federal office or state ballot question,” the bill clarifies. It would also require election officials to prepare separate ballots for voters under the age of 18 so that they only vote “for local offices or questions where the voter is authorized to vote.” Although doomed to go nowhere in the Minnesota Senate, the bill would, if passed, be placed on the 2020 ballot for voters to decide on. “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow political subdivisions to lower the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections?” the ballot proposition would state. House File 2423 was introduced by Rep. Raymond…

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Commentary: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Rashida?

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by Michael Walsh   Upon her accession to the U.S. House of Representatives last fall, practically the first words out of Rashida Tlaib’s mouth were: “We’re going to go in there and we’re going to impeach the motherf—er.” The object of the freshman Michigan Democrat’s derision was, of course, President Trump. This sentiment naturally got whoops and cheers from the guests at a MoveOn.org reception, who were there to celebrate the election of the Muslima from Dearbornistan, one of two female followers of Mohammed—the other is Ilhan Omar—now occupying chairs in the Capitol. The triumphalism was multi-layered: not only had the Democrats—thanks, Paul Ryan!—retaken the House by both hook (free stuff for everybody except old toxic-male white guys, served up piping hot by the media) and crook (ballot harvesting in California that delivered once solidly Republican Orange County over to the Democrats) but, in the guise of “diversity,” they had also put two more co-religionists of the 9/11 hijackers into the Congress. Tlaib and Omar have wasted no time in getting to work against American norms and the republic itself. Omar, born in Mogadishu, has been getting most of the attention lately; her unfiltered mouth can’t help but spout anti-Semitic…

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Amazon and Protesters Tell Two Different Stories of Latest Shakopee Protest

Anthony Gockowski

A group of mostly-Somalian workers at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Shakopee organized another walkout during an overnight shift Friday. In a Facebook post, the Awood Center, a local non-profit seeking to build “East African worker power,” said that a “majority of workers in the STOW department at Amazon’s MSP1 facility in Shakopee, Minnesota walked off the job to demand better working conditions.” “These 30 workers came together to demand that Amazon employees have safe jobs, respect from managers and a voice in the workplace,” the post said. Amazon spokeswoman Brenda Alfred, however, said the “characterization of the size of the group is inaccurate.” “The group of employees involved did not represent the majority of the night shift in the STOW department and actually was far fewer than half,” she told Shakopee Valley News. “A small group of associates left during their shift, some of whom went to a nearby restaurant so we disagree on how this activity has been portrayed.” As The Minnesota Sun reported, protesters affiliated with the Awood Center organized a walkout in early December, which Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN05) attended. “Their dignity is not being uplifted. For the honest work they are putting in, that is not…

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Commentary: Telling the Truth About Islam Always Gets You in Trouble with Democrats

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by George Rasley   Recently, 12 pro-Israel organizations signed a letter addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, calling on them to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) from the Foreign Affairs Committee after she espoused a series of anti-Semitic tropes. The Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), a longtime pro-Israel advocacy group, spearheaded the effort. While some of the groups are avowedly conservative, most of the organizations that signed on are either Jewish groups or groups that have close ties to the Jewish community. The reaction from the Left and from Left-aligned Islamists was swift and vicious. Emily Kopp, a former press intern for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, used an op-ed in Capitol Hill’s Roll Call newspaper to describe ACT for America and our friends at the Center for Security Policy as “anti-Muslim hate groups” that “peddle anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.” Kopp also accuses ACT for America of having ties to a neo-Nazi, based on disinformation published by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Wrote Kopp: But the coalition behind the letter — described by conservative media to be “leading Jewish organizations” — includes groups that maintain no relationship to the American Jewish community…

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Ilhan Omar Trashes Obama on Immigration

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by Henry Rodgers   Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar heavily criticized former President Barrack Obama for his stance on immigration, saying he was responsible for the “caging of kids” at the U.S.-Mexico border. In an interview with Politico magazine released Friday, Omar also said Obama’s “hope and change” slogan turned out to be a delusion. Omar said Obama was also responsible for the “droning of countries around the world,” comparing some of his views to President Donald Trump, who she is a strong opponent against, even defending her colleague Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib for saying she would help Democrats “impeach the motherf****r.” Omar has faced criticism on numerous occasions for her comments in regard to Israel and Jewish people, causing Democratic members of the House to bring a resolution to the floor, after criticism from Jewish lawmakers, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and others. “Israel has hypnotized the world,” she wrote. Omar said in January she was unaware of the anti-Semitic connotations associated with the word “hypnotized” in relation to Jewish people. She was also accused of anti-Semitic behavior by New York GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin after he received numerous voicemails on his office phone calling him offensive names. The…

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Ted Deutch Says Fellow Democrats Are Going Soft on Ilhan Omar’s ‘Anti-Semitic Lies’

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by Peter Hasson   Democratic Florida Rep. Ted Deutch criticized Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Thursday for spreading “classic anti-Semitic lies” and said his fellow House Democrats aren’t doing enough to hold her accountable. Deutch criticized Democrats for changing a House resolution condemning anti-Semitism to include other forms of hate. “Why are we unable to singularly condemn anti-Semitism? Why can’t we call out anti-Semitism and show that we’ve learned the lessons of history? It feels like we’re only able to call the use anti-Semitic language by a colleague of ours, any colleague of ours, if we’re addressing all forms of hatred. And it feels like we can’t call it anti-Semitism, unless everybody agrees it’s anti-Semitism,” Deutch said in a passionate speech on the House floor. Referring to Omar, the congressman added, “when a colleague invokes classic anti-Semitic lies, three times, then this body must condemn that anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is worthy of being taken seriously on its own. It’s worthy of being singularly called out.” Congresswoman @IlhanMN deleted these anti-Semitic tweets today. pic.twitter.com/Vz7nn0W9WM — Jerry Dunleavy 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) February 26, 2019 “Jews control the world? Jews only care about money? Jews have dual loyalty and can’t be patriotic members of…

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US House Democrats Struggle over Rebuke to Lawmaker for Israel Comments

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Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are struggling to decide how or whether to rebuke a new Democratic lawmaker, a Somali-American Muslim who has criticized Israel in ways that many find offensive. The House could vote Thursday on a resolution that condemns both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, a statement that at first was clearly aimed at Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of two Muslim women who were elected to the 435-member House last November and took office in early January, but does not name her. But the debate over the resolution about the 37-year-old lawmaker from the midwestern state of Minnesota has evolved into questions into over whether the statement was needed at all, whether she as a Muslim, a distinct religious minority in the U.S., was being unfairly singled out or whether her remarks about Israel needed to be disavowed since the House had already recently adopted a statement condemning anti-Semitism. Omar has incensed many fellow Democrats for her comments calling into question long-held U.S. support for the Jewish state that has been a bedrock belief of Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike since the country’s inception in 1948. Numerous Democrats, with a few exceptions, say her comments are anti-Semitic and…

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Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke Calls Ilhan Omar the ‘Most Important Member of the U.S. Congress’

Anthony Gockowski

Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke called Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) the “most important member of the U.S. Congress” in a Thursday tweet. Duke’s statement comes amid a tumultuous week for the House’s Democratic majority, which struggled to unite around a resolution condemning Omar’s anti-Semitic comments. As The Minnesota Sun reported Wednesday, House Democrats were prepared to vote on a resolution that was drafted in response to Omar’s controversial comments, but the vote ultimately fell apart after Omar’s progressive allies rallied to her defense. Now, Democratic leaders have prepared a new resolution that broadly condemns all forms of hate, which was overwhelmingly passed late Thursday afternoon. Throughout the affair, Duke, a fervid anti-Semite, praised Omar for her criticisms of the Israeli state. “Ilhan Omar is now the most important member of the U.S. Congress,” he wrote on Twitter. “I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans, and the Middle East and the whole world and true peace are the Zionist tyrants who rule media and politics. Sadly, this 100lb girl has more guts than any white member of Congress.” https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/1103766675223130112 Omar’s Minnesota colleagues struggled to navigate the debate, and some, such as Sen.…

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Ex-Muslim Turned Christian Pastor Speaks at Minnesota Capitol Ahead of Court Hearing

Anthony Gockowski

A group of Minnesotans gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday night to host a prayer rally for Pastor Ramin Parsa, who was arrested at the Mall of America in August on charges of misdemeanor trespassing. As The Minnesota Sun reported in November, Parsa visited Minnesota in August and was invited by one of his hosts to see “the biggest mall in North America.” While there, Parsa said he “randomly ran into some Somalis, we had a random conversation.” “They asked me where I’m from. I told them and the conversation led to whether I was Muslim or not. I replied, ‘I used to be but I’m a Christian now,’” he said. Parsa claims that “another woman who was not part of the conversation went and complained to the security,” and he was ultimately charged with trespassing. Parsa, who runs Redemptive Love Ministries in Los Angeles, returned to Minnesota Wednesday evening ahead of his Thursday morning hearing. His supporters organized a prayer rally Wednesday night at the State Capitol where Parsa spoke about the religious persecution he’s experienced in other countries. “I’ve been through this before in other countries,” he said during the rally. “The only thing that made me sad…

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House Dems Plan Vote on Resolution to Formally Condemn Ilhan Omar’s Anti-Semitism

Anthony Gockowski

Democratic lawmakers are preparing to formally denounce Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) anti-Semitic comments in a House resolution set to be voted on Wednesday. Omar once again found herself at the center of a controversy after video leaked of her making anti-Semitic comments at a Washington, D.C. coffee shop. “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. I want to ask why is it OK for me to talk about the influence of the NRA, of fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policies?” Omar said during an event at Busboys & Poets. Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, said he was “dispirited and appalled that Rep. Omar would traffic in yet another antisemitic trope.” “As the ADL helpfully explains on its website, the antisemitic allegation often referred to as the ‘dual loyalty’ charge, ‘alleges that Jews should be suspected of being disloyal neighbors or citizens because their true allegiance is to their coreligionists around the world or to a secret and immoral Jewish…

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Ilhan Omar Says She’s Been Accused of Anti-Semitism ‘Because I’m Muslim’

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is now suggesting that she’s been accused of anti-Semitism “because I’m Muslim.” As was widely reported, Omar faced significant backlash earlier this month after she suggested that Jewish money is influencing bipartisan support of Israel—a variation of a common anti-Semitic trope. She eventually issued an apology, called “lame” by the president, but is now claiming she was criticized for her comments because she’s Muslim. “But I think the theme here is because I’m Muslim. You know, there have been many members within journalism, within politics, within all kinds of aspects of our society who have spoken about the kind of influence that AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] has on Congress and on our foreign policy. No one calls them anti-Semitic because they are Jewish but when it comes to someone like me, even the slight mention of them…,” she said before being cut off in an interview on the The Intercept’s Deconstructed podcast. She then repeated those claims during a Wednesday town hall at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and other progressive colleagues. “What I am fearful of is that because Rashida and I are Muslim that a lot…

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Tennessee Star Report: Laurie Cardoza-Moore Petitions for the Resignation of Anti-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

Julie Carr

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy spoke with Laurie Cardoza-Moore from Proclaiming Justice to the Nations about her current petition which can be found online at PJTN.org, regarding the removal of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the Somali Muslim who came to the United States under the Refugee Resettlement Program, for her anti-Semitic tweets and conduct. During the segment, Moore called for the removal of Omar citing her continuous anti-American views and values that she continues to promote and her recent speaking engagement on Thursday in Tampa, Florida alongside other anti-American, Islamic radicals. Gill: Also go to PJTN.org, this morning, that’s PJTN.org, Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, PJTN.org where there is a petition you can sign demanding the immediate resignation of Minnesota Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar. She’s the one who allegedly married her brother to cheat us immigration laws. Traveled apparently to Venezuela a year or so ago with an anti-American group. And Nancy Pelosi puts her on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Chairman of PJTN, Proclaiming Justice to the Nations is Laurie Cardoza-Moore…

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America’s First Two Muslim Congresswomen Will Both be Fundraising for Hamas-Linked Organization

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by Molly Prince   The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Monday that Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib will be speaking at CAIR-Michigan’s annual banquet only days after the Hamas-linked organization revealed that fellow Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota will be speaking at CAIR-LA’s annual banquet. CAIR is a notable pro-Palestinian organization with ties to Islamic terror groups. The U.S. Department of Justice listed CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator in funding millions of dollars to the terrorist organization Hamas. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) named CAIR a terrorist organization along with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in 2014. Tlaib will be the guest speaker at CAIR-Michigan’s 19th annual “Faith-Led, Justice Driven” banquet on March 17, according to the organization’s invitation. Single tickets start at $50 per person and a table can cost upwards of $500. Tickets for Omar’s March 23 event start at a similar price point. Omar and Tlaib became America’s first Muslim congresswomen when sworn into office in January. Their time in office has been embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism. Tlaib invited a pro-Hezbollah, anti-Israel activist to her swearing-in ceremony and the following private dinner in January. Days later, an op-ed column she wrote in 2006…

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Was Ilhan Omar Scheduled to Speak Alongside Anti-Semite from Islamic Relief USA?

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) communications director is denying reports that his boss was scheduled to speak alongside Islamist Relief USA’s Yousef Abdallah, a flagrant anti-Semite. The Jerusalem Post first reported that Omar would be keynoting Islamist Relief USA’s upcoming fundraiser for Yemen taking place in Tampa, Florida. Abdallah was allegedly listed as a speaker for the event, and images screen captured by The Post show that he was. Abdallah has shared several anti-Semitic posts on his social media account, as documented by the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch Blog. In one case, Abdallah shared a “very beautiful” story about the killing of “more than 20 Jews.” He’s referred to Jews as “stinking,” and liked another comment that called for “revenge on the damned rapists Zionists.” The story was quickly picked up by several national outlets, including Washington Examiner and The Daily Wire, and came amid reports about Omar’s own anti-Semitic comments. A spokesperson for Omar, Jeremy Slevin, took to Twitter to deny the reports that Omar would be speaking alongside Abdallah. “He was never scheduled to speak with the Congresswoman. The flyer is inaccurate,” Slevin wrote on Twitter. “Yousef Abdallah will not be speaking or attending the event with Rep.…

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Omar Uses Backlash Over Anti-Semitic Comments to Ask for Donations

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is running an advertisement on Facebook asking for donations in response to the criticism she received for making anti-Semitic comments. “Stand with Ilhan. We will not be silenced,” the advertisement states and quotes President Donald Trump calling for Omar’s resignation. https://twitter.com/RubensteinAdam/status/1095880581848666113 As The Minnesota Sun reported, Trump said Omar should resign from Congress during a Tuesday cabinet meeting. “One other thing I want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, and Congresswoman Omar is—terrible what she said. And I think she should either resign from Congress, or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” Trump said. “What she said is do deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology—that’s what it was, it was lame, and she didn’t mean a word of it.” His comments came in response to widespread backlash Omar received after she suggested that Jewish money is influencing bipartisan support of Israel. “The notion that wealthy Jews are controlling the government is a longstanding anti-Semitic trope and one of the pillars of modern anti-Semitism, a retread of ideas spread by bigots from David Duke to Louis Farrakhan,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.…

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EXCLUSIVE Candace Owens Commentary: Ilhan Omar and AOC Are Forging ‘The Anti-American Party’

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by Candace Owens   The Democrat Party’s new standard bearers are dropping any pretense of patriotism. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”) have proudly positioned themselves as the leaders of an anti-American political faction that seeks its mandate not from American citizens, but from foreigners. In AOC’s nightmarish vision of a post-American society, the democratic will of the American people holds no force. Race — filtered through the lens of her bizarre, fantasy version of the demographic history of the American continent — is what determines a person’s right to be in the country and which laws can be applied to them. “We are standing on native land. And Latino people are descendants of native people. And we cannot be told, and criminalized, simply for our identity or our status. Period,” Ocasio-Cortez told her followers last week at a rally to highlight her call for Congress to cut funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ilhan Omar was also on hand. The freshman Democrat congresswoman is no stranger to controversial and hateful comments, having recently equated the democratic Jewish state of Israel to the terror-supporting Islamist regime of Iran, repeatedly libeled a group of Catholic teenagers from Covington,…

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Laurie Cardoza Moore of PJTN Talks to the Tennessee Star Report About the Trending Anti-Semitism in Congress and Around the Globe

Julie Carr

In a specific discussion on Wednesday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Steve Gill talked in depth with Chairman of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations Chairman, Laurie Cardoza Moore about the myriad of anti-Semitic rhetoric spewing from the mouths of politicians and how we are headed down a dark path reminiscent of Germany’s history under Hitler’s rule. Gill questioned Cardoza about why many Jewish voters still support the Democratic party. Gill and Cardoza specifically discussed the recent Tweeting’s of Omar Ilhan and the anti-Semitic remarks of others in Congress. They especially brought to light the implications of the BDS and those groups which support it and how anti-BDS resolutions are being crafted to alter its progression on a national and international level. Gill: Laurie Cardoza Moore is the Chairman of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations. You can go to PJTN.org. And Laurie thanks for being with us to kind of help add some insight into the rise of anti-Semitism not only in Congress but as we’re seeing around the country. In the leftist media and certainly…

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Seven Things to Know About Rep. Ilhan Omar

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by Rachel del Guidice   President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Rep. Ilhan Omar should resign over anti-Semitic remarks the freshman lawmaker has made. “I think she should either resign from Congress, or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” Trump said of the Minnesota Democrat during a Cabinet meeting. Here are seven things to know about Omar, who took office just last month. 1. She Faced Accusations of Anti-Semitism Over Tweets Omar, 37, has faced significant pushback for a tweet she posted Sunday saying that pro-Israel American politicians are supported by funding from a pro-Israel organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1094761790595088384 Omar also tweeted on Sunday that support for Israel in the United States is “all about the Benjamins baby.” She apologized after being criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for anti-Semitic behavior. “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,” Omar said in a statement posted Monday captioned “Listening and learning, but standing strong.” “My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step back and…

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Ilhan Omar Snaps at CNN Reporter: ‘Are You Serious?’

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by Peter Hasson   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Wednesday snapped at a CNN reporter who tried to ask her about the fallout over her recent comments blaming Jewish political donors for Republicans’ support of Israel. President Trump on Tuesday said Omar should step down either from Congress or the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and called Omar’s apology “lame.” The congresswoman on Wednesday shot back a tweet that accused the president of “trafficking in hate,” but then dodged questions twice when asked about it by CNN’s Manu Raju. “Rep. Ilhan Omar in no mood to talk about her controversies this week. First, she said: ‘No thank you’ when asked to comment on Trump saying she should resign. Second time I saw her, she yelled: ‘Are you serious?’ when I tried to question her,” Raju wrote on Twitter. ‘What’s wrong with you” the congresswoman reportedly asked him. Before I even got my question out the second time I saw her, Ilhan Omar angrily said: “Are you serious? What’s wrong with you.” https://t.co/uhQ2stdrsF — Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 13, 2019 Omar, who has been known to be cold towards reporters in the past, has come under fire for some of her…

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Omar Doesn’t Let Witness Respond to Attack During Hearing

Anthony Gockowski

Twitter was abuzz Wednesday afternoon after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) got in a heated exchange with Elliot Abrams, the special envoy to Venezuela. “I don’t understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful,” Omar said to Abrams, who pleaded guilty in the 1980s to withholding evidence from Congress about his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. He was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. “If I can respond to that. It was an attack,” Abrams replied, but was cut off by Omar who said she reserves “the right” to her time. “That was not a question. Thank you for your participation,” Omar said. “On February 8, 1982, you testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about U.S. policy in El Salvador. In that hearing, you dismissed as communist propaganda report about the massacre of El Mozote, in which more than 800 civilians, including children as young as two-years old, were brutally murdered by U.S.-trained troops. During that massacre, some of those troops bragged about raping a 12-year-old girl before they killed her. You later said that the U.S. policy in El Salvador was a fabulous achievement. Yes…

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CLAIM: Ilhan Omar Could Face Primary Challenge in Transgender Minneapolis City Council Member

Anthony Gockowski

Rumor has it that Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins is being lobbied to run against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) in the 2020 primary for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. “Breaking: I have heard a rumor that Andrea Jenkins of the Minneapolis City Council is being lobbied to run against Rep. Ilhan Omar in a primary next election. Game changer if true,” Minnesota attorney Nathan Hansen wrote on Twitter Wednesday. https://twitter.com/nathanmhansen/status/1095478515670175747 Jenkins is best known for being the first transgender African-American woman elected to public office in the United States. In January, she drew attention after calling a press conference to discuss her experience of being chastised at a Minneapolis coffee shop for handing out political literature. “We are not over racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia in this community by any stretch of the imagination. I want to be on the forefront of us as a community dealing with these issues head on,” Jenkins said, and announced that she would be hosting a forum on race. The claim comes at a time when Omar is facing substantial criticism over her anti-Semitic comments. Most recently, Omar suggested that Jewish money is to blame for bipartisan support of Israel, which was widely…

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Trump Calls on Ilhan Omar to Resign After Anti-Semitic Comments

Anthony Gockowski

President Donald Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) to resign Tuesday during a cabinet meeting after she was once again condemned for making anti-Semitic comments. “One another thing I might want to say is that anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, and Congresswoman Omar is—terrible what she said. And I think she should either resign from Congress, or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What she said is so deep-seated in her heart that her lame apology—that’s what it was, it was lame, and she didn’t mean a word of it,” Trump said Tuesday. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Omar was widely condemned for using a common anti-Semitic trope by suggesting that Jewish money is influencing bipartisan support of Israel. “The notion that wealthy Jews are controlling the government is a longstanding anti-Semitic trope and one of the pillars of modern anti-Semitism, a retread of ideas spread by bigots from David Duke to Louis Farrakhan,” ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said in response. Omar later issued an apology for her comments, but was again rebuked for seemingly doubling-down on her previous claims. “We have to always be willing to step…

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Ilhan Omar Faces Widespread Condemnation for Using Anti-Semitic Tropes

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is once again facing backlash for multiple anti-Semitic tweets in which she suggested that Jewish money is responsible for bipartisan support of Israel. In response to journalist Glenn Greenwald’s claim that “it’s stunning how much time U.S. political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans,” Omar suggested that it’s “all about the Benjamins baby.” https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1094747501578633216 Then, when another journalist said she would “love to know who [Omar] thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel,” Omar responded by exclaiming, “AIPAC,” which stands for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1094761790595088384 Her tweets were later condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as several Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). “As Americans and Jews, we expect our politicians to condemn bigotry, not to fuel it. Words matter. At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the U.S. and abroad, Rep. Omar is promoting the ugly, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Jews have an outsized influence over politics,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of ADL. “The notion that wealthy Jews are controlling the government is a longstanding anti-Semitic trope and one…

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Klobuchar and McCollum Back Green New Deal, But Omar’s Missing from List of Sponsors

Anthony Gockowski

Two of Minnesota’s most prominent politicians, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), are backing the controversial Green New Deal, but Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is conspicuously missing from the list of House sponsors. The House version of the resolution currently has 67 co-sponsors, including McCollum, who has received $52,733 in campaign contributions from environmental groups over the course of her career, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Klobuchar, who is expected to declare candidacy for president Sunday, is one of 10 co-sponsors of the Senate resolution, which has the backing of other presidential hopefuls, such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that Klobuchar has received $220,463 from environmental groups throughout her career. Omar is a public ally of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), the resolution’s chief author, and was an early advocate of the Green New Deal. Omar, however, currently isn’t listed as a co-sponsor of the resolution. She addressed her support of the Green New Deal in a statement Thursday, but seemed to take issue with the fact that it is just a resolution rather than actual legislation. “We need to…

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Walz Faces Big Decision on Pipeline Project as Both Sides Mount Pressure

Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) has less than 20 days to make a decision on the highly controversial Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project, according to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. On February 5, the Minnesota Court of Appeals dismissed a last-minute appeal of the project made by former Gov. Mark Dayton’s (D-MN) Department of Commerce. The court has given Walz a 20-day window to refile the appeal or allow the project move forward. The court’s decision was mostly based on procedural reasons, saying the appeal was filed “prematurely” since it was made before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued a final order for the project. Now, groups on both sides of the issue are pleading with Walz to support their cause. A group of bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Walz Friday morning urging him to support Line 3. “We strongly encourage you to support the project and direct state agencies to complete the permitting process that would allow this critically important project to move forward,” the letter states. “We believe after more than 3 ½ years of review and evaluation of the project by state and federal experts, 65 public meetings by state agencies, three weeks of evidentiary hearings by…

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Omar, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez Turn on the Waterworks at Press Conference to Defund ICE

Anthony Gockowski

Several new progressive members of the U.S. House made emotional appeals to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a Thursday morning press conference organized by MoveOn. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) spoke at the press conference behind a podium with a banner of: “Defund the deportation force.” “Earlier this week we were here and we were hearing inside that Capitol the State of the Union. The president said something. He said and spoke of the idea that he likes quote-unquote legal immigration. But that is a lie. The president does not like any form of immigration,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Now he is asking for $5 billion to continue to militarize and weaponize a force that has zero accountability, whose director and whose secretary has no idea when she goes in front of a hearing how many children are dying in her own care, under her own watch, and they have the audacity to ask for more money to fund that. I don’t think so,” she continued. She went on to say that ICE “does not deserve a dime” because it “repeatedly and systematically violates human rights.” Rep. @AOC is calling on Congress to cut…

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Ilhan Omar Asks Keith Ellison to Investigate ‘Unscientific’ Ban of Trans Woman from Powerlifting Competition

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is asking Attorney General Keith Ellison for an investigation after one of her transgender constituents was barred from participating in a USA Powerlifting competition. In late January, the organization released a statement to explain its policy that prevented JayCee Cooper from partaking in one of its competitions. “Two areas of policy impact such participation: the first has to do with the use of testosterone or other androgens, commonly used to assist in transition from female to male. By virtue of the anabolic nature of these compounds, they are not allowed, nor is a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted for such use for anyone,” USA Powerlifting’s statement reads. “The second area involves the participation of male to female competitors. Through analysis the impact of maturation in the presence [of] naturally occurring androgens as the level necessary for male development, significant advantages are had, including but not limited to increased body and muscle mass, bone density, bone structure, and connective tissue,” the organization said. It is under this second policy that Cooper, a biological male, was prevented from competing as a woman in a USA Powerlifting event in Minnesota. “The IPF [International Powerlifting Federation] Medical Committee, while respecting the rights…

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Ilhan Omar’s State of the Union Guest Says Trump Should be ‘Ashamed of Himself’

Anthony Gockowski

Every member of Congress gets one guest ticket for the annual State of the Union address, and it’s often used to score quick political points. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), for instance, invited Linda Clark, an immigrant from Liberia who is at risk of deportation because of President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program. “Clark came to the United States in 2000, after fleeing Civil War in her home country of Liberia,” a press release from Omar’s office explains. “As a result of Trump’s decision, thousands of Liberian Americans could be removed from the U.S. at the end of March if DED is not renewed. Minnesota is home to the largest community of Liberian Americans of any state in the nation.” Omar said that Clark is “exactly the type of Americans success story we should celebrate,” calling her “someone who came to this country seeking a better life, played by the rules, and built a life for herself.” “I am pleased to have her join me at the State of the Union and urge the Trump Administration to renew DED status for Liberian Americans,” Omar said. “The president himself has expressed open hatred towards people fleeing…

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Ilhan Omar Included Among Those Listed in First Step of Covington Catholic Libel Case

Anthony Gockowski

Dozens of prominent media outlets and politicians, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), were issued legal letters Friday in the first step in the lawsuit against those who defamed the Covington Catholic High School students. The Minnesota Sun reported in January that Omar was at risk of being sued after she claimed that the boys at the center of the incident “were taunting five black men before they surrounded Phillips and led racist chants.” Video of the exchange showed that precisely the opposite occurred. In fact, the Covington Catholic High School students were approached by members of the Black Hebrew Israelites and repeatedly taunted as “dirty ass crackers,” “dirty animals,” “racists,” “bigots,” “faggots,” “incest kids,” and more. Attorney Robert Barnes, who is helping with the case, told The Minnesota Sun in January that if Omar “doesn’t retract what she said, she will be sued next week.” She did later delete the tweet in question, but offered no apology or correction. Now, Nick Sandmann’s attorneys have sent letters to those who potentially libeled him and his peers. The letters offer steps to take to avoid being sued, and direct all offending parties not to delete any communications related to the case. According…

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Ilhan Omar Says She ‘Chuckles’ When Americans Call Israel a Democracy

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) said she “almost chuckles” when people refer to Israel as a Democracy in a recent tell-all interview with Yahoo News. In the interview, Omar advocates for “having an equal approach” to dealing with Israel and Palestine. “Most of the things that have always been aggravating to me is that we have had a policy that makes one superior to the other, and we mask it with a conversation about justice and a two-state solution when you have policies that clearly prioritize one over the other,” she said. When challenged to elaborate on specific policies, Omar simply deferred to America’s “relationship really with the Israeli government and with the Israeli state.” “So when when I see Israel institute law that recognizes it as a Jewish state and does not recognize the other religions that are living in it, we still uphold it as a democracy in the Middle East. I almost chuckle because I know that if we see that in any other society we would criticize it, we would call it out—we do that to Iran, we do that to any other place that sort of upholds its religion,” Omar continued, saying she’s “aggravated” by “those…

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Omar, Tlaib and Progressive Allies Call for DHS Funding Cuts: ‘Not Another Dollar’

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and three fellow congresswomen are urging their Democratic colleagues to cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because of its alleged abuses on the southern border. Omar was joined by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) in issuing the letter – addressed “Dear Colleagues.” The letter, obtained by The Daily Beast Thursday, targets congressional Democrats working on a bipartisan conference committee convened in an attempt to reach a deal on border security. “The Department of Homeland Security is tasked with critical functions. However, under the auspice of the Trump Administration, a number of agencies housed at DHS have abused their authority and the fidelity of public resources,” the letter states. “Funds are being reallocated internally not to make our nation safer, but to build desert camps to inhumanely house infants and to prosecute immigrants who are part of the fabric of our community.” The letter goes on to request that “our colleagues at the negotiating table” adhere to “the following guidelines critical to protecting families and children and restoring Americans’ faith in government.” “Cut, do not increase funding,” the January 29 letter says. “A Republican controlled Congress has already…

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Ilhan Omar Floats 90 Percent Tax Rate on America’s Wealthiest

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently floated the idea of taxing America’s wealthiest citizens up to 90 percent in an interview with Yahoo News. “So there are a few things that we could do. One of them is that we could increase the taxes that people are paying who are the extremely wealthy in our communities” Omar said. “Seventy percent, 80 percent, we’ve had it as high as 90 percent.” The comments came in the context of a discussion about Omar’s support for the Green New Deal, a progressive climate change proposal put forward by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY-14). The proposal would convert the U.S. economy entirely to renewable sources of energy in 12 years and establish a universal basic income. It would, of course, require radical tax hikes on America’s wealthiest. During a recent 60 Minutes interview, Ocasio-Cortez welcomed the “radical” label, telling host Anderson Cooper that “if that’s what radical means, [then] call me a radical.” “There’s an element where, yeah, people are going to have to start paying their fair share in taxes,” she said. “You know, you look at our tax rates back in the ‘60s, and when you have a progressive tax rate system, your…

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Ilhan Omar Politicizes Holocaust Remembrance Day to Condemn ‘Right-Wing Extremism’

Anthony Gockowski

Sunday marked the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) took the opportunity to condemn the rise of “anti-Semitic” ideology in America. “Today we remember the murder of 17 million people, including 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis,” Omar wrote. “With the rise of anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi ideology, it’s more important than ever we learn from the atrocities of the past and commit to fighting intolerance.” Today #WeRemember the murder of 17 million people, including 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. With the rise of Anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi ideology, it's more important than ever we learn from the atrocities of the past & commit to fighting intolerance. #HolocaustMemorial https://t.co/8jpJ8olBaD — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 27, 2019 Omar, of course, has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism, most notably for her tweet in which she claimed that Israel has “hypnotized the world,” but also for her support of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, and her ties to anti-Semite Linda Sarsour. As Daily Wire senior editor Emily Zanotti pointed out, Omar’s Sunday tweet was actually a “really clever minimization of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust.” “10 million died in the…

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Ilhan Omar Lands $250K Book Deal Amid Outcry Over Past Comments

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) has landed her first major book deal with Dey Street Books and will receive an initial commission of up to $250,000. The deal was announced on Publishers Marketplace and is said to chronicle Omar’s “journey fleeing war in Somalia as a little girl, becoming a refugee in her early teens, and making her way against unspeakable odds to become the congresswoman-elect from Minnesota as a collection of remarkable firsts.” The book will be titled This Is What America Looks Like, and Omar will work with a collaborator on its production, according to Forbes. Day Street Books Executive Editor Alessandra Bastagli told Forbes that Omar submitted a book proposal last year. “I’ve been following Rep. Omar’s career since 2016 and was thrilled to receive her excellent book proposal on submission last year,” Bastagli said. “Her voice on the page is very much as it is in real life—fresh and positive even when she is tackling serious issues, with real empathy and deep knowledge.” Both Bastagli and Omar’s literary agent Steve Ross hinted that her memoir will touch on the Trump administration and its policies. “Her story counters everything we keep hearing from the current administration and the…

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FLASHBACK: Ilhan Omar Asked Judge for Lighter Sentences for Nine Minnesota Men Plotting to Join ISIS

Anthony Gockowski

Shortly after her historic election as the nation’s first Somali-American lawmaker, then State Rep. Ilhan Omar, now a member of Congress, asked a judge for lighter sentences in the trial of nine Minnesota men charged with planning to join ISIS. In a November 2016 letter unearthed by conservative media this week, Omar wrote to Judge Michael Davis requesting “compassion” and a “restorative approach to justice” in his sentencing. “Incarcerating 20-year-old men for 30 or 40 years is essentially a life sentence. Society will have no expectations of the to be 50 or 60-year-old released prisoners; it will view them with distrust and revulsion. Such punitive measures not only lack efficacy, they inevitably create an environment in which extremism can flourish, aligning with the presupposition of terrorist recruitment,” Omar said in her letter. She was one of 13 individuals to write letters to Davis, who also received a letter from Minneapolis City Council member Abdi Warsame. “The best deterrent to fanaticism is a system of compassion,” Omar continued. “We must alter our attitude and approach; if we truly want to affect change, we should refocus our efforts on inclusion and rehabilitation.” Throughout her letter, Omar argued that the young men were…

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New Report Calls Ilhan Omar’s Security Clearance Into Question

Anthony Gockowski

A new report published Thursday suggests that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) would not be granted security clearance if she weren’t an elected official because of her ties to those in the highest echelons of Somalia’s government. According to an investigative report from PJ Media, Omar visited with former Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu prior to her 2016 election to the Minnesota House. It’s likely she also met with Somalia’s new president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, whose election was called “one of the most fraudulent political events in Somalia’s history.” Omar’s brother-in-law, Mohamed Keynan, later worked under his administration as a permanent secretary to the prime minister, a position he occupied for 14 months. PJ Media’s David Steinberg uncovered the close familial relationship Omar and Keynan share, reporting: A long-time resident of Minneapolis, MN, and Columbus, OH, Mohamed Keynan is married to Ilhan Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor. Sahra, who arrived in the United States with Ilhan in 1995, bears the distinction of being the only one of Ilhan Omar’s seven siblings whom Ilhan has ever identified or openly appeared with in public. Sahra and Ilhan have been frequently photographed together over the years, and have often appeared together with their…

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Pelosi Rejects Trump’s Shutdown Offer, Minnesota Democrats Fall in Line

Anthony Gockowski

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) rejected President Donald Trump’s offer Saturday to provide temporary protections for DACA recipients in exchange for border-wall cash, and Minnesota’s congressional delegation promptly followed suit. “Democrats were hopeful that the president was finally willing to re-open government and proceed with a much-needed discussion to protect the border. Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total do no represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives,” Pelosi said in a statement, which was released before Trump delivered his remarks. Pelosi called Trump’s proposal a “non-starter,” taking issue with the fact that it didn’t “include the permanent solution for the Dreamers and TPS [Temporary Protected Status] recipients that our country needs and supports.” Minnesota’s DFLers fell in line Saturday afternoon, saying they wouldn’t negotiate on border security until the government reopens. “While I welcome many elements of the president’ proposal, negotiations cannot begin during a shutdown,” Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) wrote on Twitter. “I believe a bipartisan deal can be reached that satisfies our need for enhanced border security and immigration reform, but government must be reopened for that…

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Ilhan Omar Only Minnesota Politician to Address Women’s March Despite Group’s Struggles With Anti-Semitism

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was the only elected official to speak at this year’s Women’s March Minnesota, and was invited to speak despite the organization’s recent condemnation of “those who have engaged in anti-Semitic, anti-woman, and anti-LGBTQ hate speech.” The national Women’s March has been roiled by controversies surrounding anti-Semitic comments made by its leaders, one of whom attended an event hosted by Louis Farrakhan as recently as last year. In response, Women’s March Minnesota issued a January 10 press release “reevaluating its ties to Women’s March, Inc.” “Women’s March Minnesota does not and will not tolerate the language or practice of hate,” the group said. “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia and we condemn these expressions of hatred in all forms.” The group went on to claim that it was “charting a new course into what 2019 looks like for Women’s March Minnesota.” But during its annual march Saturday, the only elected official to address attendees was Omar, who has been dealing with charges of anti-Semitism of her own, as The Minnesota Sun reported. “We fight because we recognize that women’s rights are civil rights. This June will mark a century since the 19th Amendment was…

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Pelosi Faces Pressure From GOP for Appointing ‘Anti-Semitic’ Ilhan Omar to Foreign Affairs Committee

Anthony Gockowski

Republican House leaders are calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to denounce Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement after she was appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I finally have committee assignments and I am excited. 1st choice—House Foreign Affairs Committee: The Foreign Affairs Committee oversees all foreign assistance, national security affecting the country’s foreign policy, treaties, peacekeeping and war powers,” Omar tweeted Thursday. In a series of tweets, Omar claimed that she plans to use the “committee’s human rights jurisdiction to hold the president accountable for deaths in detention centers on his watch.” “As someone who has seen firsthand the havoc wreaked by war, I am proud to serve on the committee that is responsible for overseeing our country’s—and this president’s—actions abroad,” she added. I finally have committee assignments and I am excited 🤗 1st choice- House Foreign Affairs Committee: The Foreign Affairs Committee oversees all foreign assistance, national security affecting the country’s foreign policy, treaties, peacekeeping and war powers. — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 17, 2019 The Minnesota Sun has covered Omar’s past anti-Semitic comments extensively, most recently reporting on her opposition to a bill that would allow state and local…

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Ilhan Omar Calls Anti-BDS Bill ‘Unconstitutional,’ Defends Past Anti-Semitic Comments

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) said during a recent appearance on MSNBC that Senate efforts to combat the “discriminatory economic warfare against the Jewish state” are “unconstitutional.” Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) “Combating BDS Act” was included in a package of bills introduced in early January under a title of “Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act.” Rubio’s bill in particular received significant media attention for its targeting of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. The BDS movement is widely criticized by Republicans such as Rubio as an “anti-Israel” campaign that “pressures companies to stop doing business in Israel, and banks and funds to divest of investments in Israel,” as Rubio explained in a recent tweet. His bill would allow local and state governments to end contracts with companies that practice BDS tactics. But the package of bills was stalled in a recent Senate vote of 56-44, and Democrats attributed their opposition to the bills to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) hard-line stance against passing any bills that don’t include government funding. Rubio, however, said the “shutdown is not the reason Senate Democrats don’t want to move to Middle East security bill.” “A huge argument broke out at Senate…

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Minnesota’s Betty McCollum Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Make Health Care a Right

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) recently introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would make health care a right for all American citizens. The Health Care for All Amendment, H.J. Res. 17, is currently co-sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) and states “health care, including care to prevent and treat illness, is the right of the people and necessary to ensure the strength of the nation.” “The Congress shall have power to enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation,” the amendment states. In a press release announcing the amendment, McCollum bashed “the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans” for “actively and intentionally sabotaging our health care system,” while stating that “pharmaceutical companies are gouging consumers to extract huge profits.” “Strengthening the Affordable Care Act, expanding federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and working to build a system of universal health coverage are some of the steps Congress must take to ensure that the American people have the assurance and stability they deserve when it comes to receiving health care,” McCollum said. She went on to lament the treatment of health care as “a commodity driven by profit” that should not have to “be restricted or rationed according…

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Ilhan Omar Declares Trump Presidency a ‘National Emergency’ in Twitter Tirade Against the Wall

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) fired off dozens of tweets this week in response to President Donald Trump’s Tuesday address to the nation, nearly outpacing the president himself in tweets about the southern border wall. Before Trump’s Oval Office address even began, Omar was exasperated with the fact that Trump would receive “free airtime for propaganda on the ‘humanitarian and national security crisis’ at the border.” “Two children died in ICE custody last month after 10+ years with no such deaths. There’s blood on your hands,” Omar tweeted Tuesday. Tonight, while #Trump gets free airtime for propaganda on the "humanitarian & national security crisis" at the border, CHILDREN sit in cold cages in inhumane conditions. Two children died in ICE custody last month after 10+ years with no such deaths. There's blood on your hands. — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 8, 2019 “We are literally watching a manufactured crisis, designed to divert attention from this criminal and dysfunctional administration. Stay woke America, Individual-1 is not one to sleep on,” she later wrote. Notably, Individual 1 was a code-name used by federal prosecutors in the charges brought against Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, and it was later made clear that Trump and…

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