Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, posted a response to the ongoing Hamas assault on Israel on Saturday, as the number of dead and injured continue to mount.
Hamas launched the invasion and attacks on Israel on Saturday—in a move that appeared to take the Israeli military and security services by surprise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “we are at war,” while Hamas touted its success at abducting and killing Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Omar has been one of Israel’s strongest critics in the U.S. government, regularly condemning what she and others describe as human rights abuses against Palestinians. The Democratic lawmaker’s critics regularly condemn her comments and opposition to Israel as antisemitic. Meanwhile, her defenders have pushed back against that assessment, pointing out that she regularly calls out alleged human rights abuses by Saudi Arabia and other nations as well.
In response to the violence in Israel, Omar posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday afternoon—condemning the actions of Hamas.
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 20 in Washington, D.C. The congresswoman condemned Hamas’ assault on Israel, which began on Saturday, in an X post. Alex Wong/Getty Images
“I