Jewish Democratic group refuses to endorse Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar over anti-Israel statements

JNS.ORG
Friday August 17, 2018

Democratic Party candidate for Congress Ilhan Omar (right), a Somali American who represents Minnesota, appears alongside a supporter at a July 4 barbecue. Photo: Ilhan Omar via Twitter.

JNS.org –Minnesota state lawmaker Ilhan Omar, who has labeled Israel as an “apartheid regime” that has “hypnotized the world,” is favored to take a seat in Congress after winning her Democratic primary on Tuesday in a heavily Democratic district in her state.

She will face Republican Jennifer Zielinski in November If Omar wins, she would replace another Israel critic, Rep. Keith Ellison, who is running for Minnesota state attorney general. Ellison, the Deputy Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is known for associating with antisemitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Omar isn’t the only Muslim American critical of Israel running for Congress. In Michigan last week, Rashida Tlaib won her primary and runs unopposed in November. She has called for cutting US assistance to Israel, which she has stated is “discriminatory” — a move that has been condemned by groups like the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA).

In light of Omar’s victory, the JDCA told JNS on Wednesday that it “strongly condemns Ms. Omar’s past statements characterizing Israel as an ‘apartheid state,’ as well as her egregious allegation that Israel is ‘hypnotizing the world’ to ignore its so-called ‘evil doings.’”

“Now that Ms. Omar has emerged as the Democratic candidate, JDCA will not support her candidacy—and certainly will not endorse her—because her views are not aligned with our positions and values,” said the group.