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Ilhan Omar is not apologizing this time, and Twitter says #IStandWithIlhan

People say she shouldn’t have to apologize for criticizing Israel.

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Samira Sadeque

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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is done apologizing, and Twitter is here for it. 

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Last month, Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to be elected into Congress, came under intense scrutiny when she questioned the relationship between a pro-Israel lobbyist group and politicians in a series of tweets. House leaders, headed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, released a statement deeming the tweets “anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations.” 

Omar later apologized, but the issue resurfaced last week after she criticized U.S. foreign policies at a “Progressive Issues Town Hall” at a political bookstore in Washington, D.C.

“We have a foreign policy that really has been I think detrimental to our security, detrimental to uplifting and living up to American ideals, one that has been detrimental in having positive American outlook around the world,” she said.

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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.”

Her comments led to many criticize her, again, for supposed “anti-Semitic” rhetoric, with House Democrats reportedly considering to vote on a new resolution on anti-Semitism.

Over the weekend, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) even “urged” Omar to withdraw her statement, to which Omar responded, unapologetically:

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It’s obvious that Omar, who bowed down the first time, is going to fight this one out. And those rallying for her showed up on Twitter with #IStandWithIlhan, with many trying to explain that being against Israel’s policies are not the same as being anti-Semitic.

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Many brought up the layers in Omar’s identity as a Black, Muslim refugee that make her all the more a target for attacks.

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https://twitter.com/chasemcarter/status/1102208972193492993

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Many are still reeling from the recent Islamophobic attack against Omar at the West Virginia House of Delegates, in which a poster showed her face against the burning towers from 9/11. Some were quick to point out the lack of action (or reaction) to this incident, while politicians were being so vocal about her comments from last week’s event.

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The #IStandWithIlhan hashtag is a campaign by the Jewish Voice for Peace, which “seeks an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.” The campaign reportedly started following the backlash for her comments last month, according to the #IStandWithIlhan website.

Jewish Voice for Peace did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comments.

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