From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Democratic leadership slams AIPAC for attack ad targeting Ilhan Omar
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Democratic leadership is pushing back against an ad campaign launched by AIPAC targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar who had been critical of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket fire.
The ad for an online petition features a picture of Omar with a backdrop of Hamas rocket fire.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says, “I don’t agree with Congresswoman Omar’s comments, but it’s very disappointing to see deeply cynical and inflammatory ads twisting her words. As we always respect Israel’s right to defend herself, there must be a serious effort on the part of both parties in the conflict to end the violence and respect the rights of both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says, “I disagree with the statements made by the members, but attacking them in ads does not advance the goal of increasing support for Israel. AIPAC ought to be making the case to the American people not only for Israel’s right to protect the lives of its citizens, but why they have a moral responsibility to do so and its value as our ally and national security partner.”
Too bad @AIPAC fans the flames of Islamophobia, rather than peace, with deceitful graphics and rhetoric like this. If only they supported Israelis and Palestinians like @IlhanMN. They could learn from her. pic.twitter.com/Y6LEh0BxXa
— Mark Pocan (@MarkPocan) May 19, 2021
The Times of Israel Community.