Nancy Pelosi Doesn't Think Ilhan Omar's Comments Were 'Intentionally Anti-Semitic'

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has been in a lot of headlines lately for making repeated anti-Semitic comments, so often and so extreme that even her fellow Democratic Members of Congress, liberal activists, and members of the media who previously may be been inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt have condemned her. But when Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was questioned by a reporter today, she still managed to avoid directly tackling the issue of Omar’s repeatedly troubling comments.

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The interview happened within the hour of this writing, as Politico’s Jake Sherman tweeted he had “caught up with @SpeakerPelosi” to question her about Omar. Pelosi told Sherman she wasn’t sure a resolution condemning Omar’s anti-Semitic comments would get a hearing this week.

And then there was this eyebrow-raising comment: Pelosi said she did not think Omar’s comments were “intentionally anti-Semitic.”

Perhaps it was fair to give Omar the benefit of the doubt the first time, as many did. Maybe even give her a few chances. But there’s a point where someone keeps doing the same thing over and over, and it becomes ridiculous to suggest it’s anything other than intentional.

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Jokes aside, here’s a partial list of Omar’s comments, collected by David Rutz at the Washington Free Beacon:

During the Gaza War in 2012, Omar tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

…[I]n February, she tweeted that pro-Israel politicians were being paid off, saying, “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby,” and adding the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC was responsible.

…[L]ast week, when she said at Busboys and Poets, a restaurant whose owner has said the United States takes its “marching orders from Tel Aviv,” that she suspected her “Jewish colleagues” found her criticism of Israel to be anti-Semitic because she is a Muslim. She also said, “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

And then there’s this tweet from March 3, where she again attacked criticism of her as evidence of dual loyalty:

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Omar is college-educated and bilingual. She’s too intelligent to assume she doesn’t know what she’s saying. Attempting to minimize her comments as “not intentional” is laughable, and Pelosi should rethink this ridiculous excuse.

Read my RedState article archive here.

Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter: @rumpfshaker

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