AIPAC doubles down on ad about US Rep. Omar
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has received criticism for an ad with Rep. Ilhan Omar's image reading "Stand AGAINST terrorists." The Muslim congresswoman receives frequent criticism for her views on Israel and US foreign policy.
A pro-Israel lobby organization is having a war of words with a pro-Palestine Democratic congresswoman over an ad that referenced her alongside terrorist groups.
The issue centers around an ad by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is a frequent critic of Israel. The ad showed Omar’s image and read “Stand WITH America. Stand AGAINST terrorists.” It also accused Omar of equating the United States with the Taliban and Israel with Hamas. This was a reference to comments Omar made in June about “unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban” in recent years. After receiving criticism, Omar said she was not equating terrorists with democracies.
On Wednesday, Omar’s spokesman Jeremy Slevin compared AIPAC’s language to alleged death threats Omar receives, and accused the lobby group of endangering her.
“Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar's life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads,” said Slevin on Twitter.
