Top Democrat Demands Another Apology From Rep. Ilhan Omar

(The Washington Post) —
Eliot Engel, Ilhan Omar
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel D-N.Y. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is facing new accusations of making anti-Semitic remarks, with a senior member of her party rebuking the House freshman for words that he said conjured a “vile anti-Semitic slur.”

Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has demanded an apology over comments Omar made Wednesday, less than a month after she was condemned by bipartisan leadership for suggesting that pro-Israel lobbying groups and Jewish politicians influence American politics.

Her latest comments came during a town hall in Washington while speaking about liberal issues. “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” Omar said.

In a statement Friday, Engel said that he welcomed debate in Congress but that it was “unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

“Her comments were outrageous and deeply hurtful, and I ask that she retract them, apologize, and commit to making her case on policy issues without resorting to attacks that have no place in the Foreign Affairs Committee or the House of Representatives,” he said.

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