Ilhan Omar: I ‘Unequivocally Apologize’ for Tweets on Israel

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “unequivocally” apologized in a Monday statement for a series of tweets on Israel that Democratic leaders have condemned for containing anti-Semitic tropes. “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,” she said. “My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. This is why I unequivocally apologize.” Omar also wrote that she reaffirms her stance against lobbying groups like the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee, along with the National Rifle Association and the fossil fuel industry. “It’s gone on too long and we must be willing to address it,” she wrote. The statement comes after House Democratic leaders called on her to apologize after she claimed that AIPAC was paying politicians to take pro-Israel stances. “As Democrats and as Americans, the entire Congress must be fully engaged in denouncing and rejecting all forms of hatred, racism, prejudice, and discrimination wherever they are encountered,” House leaders said.