Ilhan Omar claims pro-Israel group has 'put her life at risk' over new ad reminding her that she compared America to the Taliban
'Squad' member Ilhan Omar has accused a pro-Israel group of putting her life in danger over new attack ads claiming she sees no difference between America and the Taliban.
'Stand with American. Stand against terrorists,' reads an anti-Omar American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) ad.
'For Ilhan Omar, there is no difference between America and the Taliban. Between Israel and Hamas. Between democracies and terrorism.'
'Tell Rep. Omar, condemn terrorists, not America.'
'When Israel targets Hamas, Rep. Omar calls it an 'act of terrorism,' another of their ads states.
But the Minnesota representative's spokesman Jeremy Slevin hit out at the advert on Twitter, claiming the AIPAC ad was Islamophobic, and potentially puts Omar in danger of being killed.
Ilhan Omar spokesman says American Israel Public Affairs Committee's attack ads (pictured) are putting her 'life at risk' as death threats against Minnesota Democrat Rep
'When Israel targets Hamas, Rep. Omar calls it an 'act of terrorism,' another of their ads states
'The language AIPAC uses in paid ads to smear and vilify [Omar] is virtually identical to the language used in death threats she gets,' Slevin wrote.
'Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar's life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads.'
The Omar rep posted a screenshot of one attack ad where AIPAC repeats a comment she made in June comparing Israel to the Taliban and Hamas, as well as a screenshot of a tweet by Omar where the outspoken young politician posted about a death threat she received.
Omar spokesperson Jeremy Slevin made the accusation on Twitter, and singled out AIPAC for inciting potentially deadly Islamophobic hate via their recent attack advertisements
'We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the US, Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,' Omar tweeted in June.
'I asked [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] where people are supposed to go for justice.'
Omar eventually distanced herself from the comments after received widespread backlash from both Democrats and Republicans alike, however she later stated that she did not regret drawing the comparison.
Meanwhile, an AIPAC spokesperson told Fox News that their advertisements against Omar simply reiterate her own words to use against her, especially when calling America and Israel terrorist states.
'The ad concerning Representative Omar is completely fair and accurate,' the spokesperson said.
'It is not a personal attack and highlights her outrageous statement putting the United States and Israel on the same level as the Taliban and Hamas.'
Omar has previously faced repeated claims of anti-Semitism, and of playing down terrorist atrocities.
In February 2019, she said she 'unequivocally apologized' after replying to a tweet by journalist Glenn Greenwald asking why then GOP leader Kevin McCarthy had threatened to sanction her for criticizing Israel.
She responded 'It's all about the Benjamins baby' - a reference to money - and was condemned for spreading an anti-Semitic trope painting Jewish people as money-obsessed.
And in February 2019 Omar, who arrived in the US as a Somalian refugee, faced further scrutiny after referring to the 9/11 terror attacks as when 'some people did something.'
She said she had been taken out of context.
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