ADL chief slams Ilhan Omar for remarks on ‘pro-genocide’ Jewish students: ‘Blood libel’
The head of the Anti-Defamation League accuses Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of spreading a blood libel after she implied Jewish students who support Israel amid its war against Hamas are “pro-genocide.”
Omar made the remarks Friday while at Columbia while visiting her daughter Isra Hirsi at the anti-Israel tent encampment set up by pro-Palestinian students. Hirsi was one of several students suspended by Columbia after being arrested for setting up an initial encampment.
Asked how she thought her visit would be received by Jewish students facing antisemitism, Omar responded that she met Jewish students in the encampment.
“I think it is really unfortunate that people don’t care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe and that we should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide,” she said.
In a post on X, the ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt slams Omar, saying it’s patently false and a blood libel to suggest that ANY Jewish students are ‘pro-genocide.'”
“It is gaslighting to impute that Jewish people are somehow at fault for being harassed and menaced with signs and slogans literally calling for their own extermination,” he continues. “It is abhorrent that a sitting member of Congress would slander an entire group of young people in such a cold, calculated manner.”
“This is how people get killed.”
Greenblatt calls on Omar to apologize “but I’m not holding my breath,” in apparent reference to “the Squad” member’s history of remarks criticized as antisemitic.
Watch this clip. It features @IlhanMN walking through @Columbia proclaiming that "Jewish students… should not have to tolerate antisemitism… whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide."
It is patently false and a blood libel to suggest that ANY Jewish students are… pic.twitter.com/XbP5J4VspE
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 28, 2024