One day after three top Democratic presidential candidates defended Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over charges of anti-Semitism, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) issued a noticeably different statement that seemed to admonish Omar, equating the congresswoman’s comments with a virulently Islamophobic poster displayed in the West Virginia Capitol that linked Omar to the Sept. 11 attacks. “Those with critical views of Israel, such as Congresswoman Omar, should be able to express their views without employing anti-Semitic tropes about money or influence,” Gillibrand said in a statement on Tuesday. Omar came under fire on Friday after some interpreted her critical comments about Israel as anti-Semitic. Sanders, Harris and Warren all explicitly stated that criticism of Israel is not synonymous with anti-Semitism. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who is also vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination, chimed in on Thursday, criticizing Omar.

Source: Huffington Post March 07, 2019 18:34 UTC