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Ilhan Omar Accuses 'Democratic Majority for Israel' of Ignorance

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Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) group engaged in a Twitter spat over the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on January 25.

The argument started after the DMFI responded to a tweet from former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill arguing that BDS “denounces and fights racism and oppression in all forms.” “BDS is antisemitic,” DMFI retorted. “It opposes Israel’s existence in any borders. People are entitled to express antisemitic views in this country, but aren’t entitled to evade the label.”

This tweet prompted Omar to accuse the pro-Israel Democratic group of being “either ignorant of the movement’s positions or purposely misrepresenting them. BDS opposes Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights & dignity. People are entitled to express their views in this country and should support this nonviolent movement.”

DMFI responded with a tweet noting that Omar stated opposition to the BDS in 2018 as an impediment to a two-state solution. In a subsequent tweet, the group highlighted a video from BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti stating, “We oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Palestinian — rational Palestinian, not a sell-out Palestinian — will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The Stop Antisemitism.org watchdog also noted that Omar once argued in a tweet that sanctions haven’t worked in Iran, North Korea and Cuba and that “it’s time Congress rethinks the humanitarian, human rights, and geographical impacts of our sanctions.”