UPDATE
Linda Sarsour, another Women's March leader, also defended Omar's anti-Semitism in a post on her Facebook page:
AIPAC is one of the most influential lobbies in American politics - alongside the NRA (maybe not anymore), fossil fuel industry and big pharmaceuticals.
AIPAC is a lobbying organization. Here is the definition of lobby from the DICTIONARY:
“a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue.”
AIPAC connects donors to campaigns and elected officials. Trying to argue that critiquing the role of AIPAC which let’s be clear is not a Jewish organization, many of its leaders and members are Christian Zionists - is antisemitic is ludicrous.
Antisemitism is REAL. Antisemitism can harm people as we see in hate crimes against visible Jewish Americans. Antisemitism can be lethal as we witnessed in the horrific attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Critiques of the State of Israel ARE NOT antisemitic. Calling out AIPAC is not antisemitic.
We have work to do to dismantle all forms of racism including antisemitism. We do that under the leadership of Jewish allies who have invested in education, relationship building not vilification and harassment.
It is absolutely outrageous for us not to see the hypocrisy of Kevin McCarthy and others like him who are targeting Ilhan who themselves have engaged in actual antisemitic tropes and some worse. Antisemites will not be held up as the moral authority on antisemitism.
I will not be silent in the face of attacks, harassment and targeted policing of speech from a Black Muslim woman elected official, our sister Ilhan Omar in the name of combatting antisemitism. We can stand up for Ilhan knowing her record and what she stands for and also combat antisemitism. I will not be distracted by the fact that dangerous antisemitism is being peddled by the very people claiming to care about Jews and antisemítism.
Omar's "record?" What record? She's been in office a whole month. Whoopty doo!
ORIGINAL POST
Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has come under fire for making anti-Semitic comments recently, saying the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pays Republicans to support Israel. She apologized and admitted she needed to "unlearn" her anti-Semitic ways. Republican members of Congress have demanded she be removed from her assignment on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Now, Women's March leader Tamika Mallory has stepped forward to defend Omar.
I can’t sit back silently as a Black woman and watch the attacks on @IlhanMN. I am sick and tired of watching Black and Brown women be used as scapegoats for white nationalism. Enough is a DAMN-NOUGH. We must all speak up and speak out.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
Trump has the nerve to be telling anyone to resign. He is a racist, abuser, colluding with foreign countries, alleged corruption, stripping LGBTQIA ppl of rights, caging babies, targeting the undocumented, banning Muslims. He needs to take several seats & look in the DAMN MIRROR.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
Trump has promoted hate, antisemitic conspiracy theories that I learned about that inspired white supremacists to engage in violence against Jewish people. He is the most powerful man in this country and his words matter. A BBC reporter was beat up just yesterday at his rally.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
Women of color are held to unreachable standards and scrutinized in a way no one else is. People have said and done way worst. We are also not given benefit of the doubt. Just based on who we are, people assume ill will. This is NOT okay. There’s racism at play.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
We all have much to learn about all forms of racism. But if we keep going down this route by trying to destroy progressive women of color meanwhile giving a pass to white supremacy we will not be able to build a nation for all of us and win in 2020. We can’t allow this to go on.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
I will stand with Ilhan, they will not break us. No matter what they try to do we will stand bolder, stronger and more determined. #StandWithIlhan #IstandwithLinda
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) February 12, 2019
This has got to be the worst Twitter rant that a progressive has ever given. There are so many things wrong with what Mallory has said.
1) Progressives want us all to be created and treated equally. They want us all to come together, hold hands and sing kumbaya...but only when it benefits them. Why is it okay for people of color to call out whites for being racists but not the other way around? It doesn't matter what color your skin color is, you can still be a racist. A white person can be anti-Semitic (Hello, look at Hitler!). We need to hold everyone to the same standards. It shouldn't matter if you're a white male, a black woman or any other race and sex combination. It. Is. All. Wrong. And arguing otherwise is precisely what's wrong with our country.
2) Omar said things that are flat out wrong and are bold faced lies. You can agree with her politically and still disagree with her racist, anti-Semitic ways. That doesn't mean anyone is trying to tear her down because she's a woman of color. It means the same standard is being applied to everyone across the board.
3) The biggest question I want to know is how the hell Mallory can honestly look at this scenario and try to spin it so it's somehow "white nationalism" that's to blame. No. This comes down to Omar's words, things that she has expressed time and time again. This isn't the first time she's said something anti-Semitic (and it's highly unlikely to be the last).
4) President Trump has nothing to do with this scenario. He didn't say anything that lead Omar to make her anti-Semitic comments. He's not a factor in this. At all.
This is one person's fault: Ilhan Omar's. She needs to stand up and take the fall for her words. And anyone who comes to defend her – and yes, I'm talking to you, Tamika Mallory – should consider themselves anti-Semitic too. There are no excuses for this. None at all.
Omar wanted to be a public figure, she wanted to be in the spotlight, now it's time she stands up and faces the music. It's the not-so-glamorous side of being a politician but it's 100 percent necessary.