Ocasio-Cortez questions criticism of Omar: ‘No one seeks this level of reprimand’ for statements about other groups

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday questioned the push from some lawmakers to reprimand Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over statements that prompted allegations of anti-Semitism, raising an apparent lack of action over statements regarded as offensive to other minority groups.

Ocasio-Cortez issued a series of tweets a day before the House is set to vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to Omar’s latest comments that pro-Israel advocates are pushing “allegiance to a foreign country.”

{mosads}”One of the things that is hurtful about the extent to which reprimand is sought of Ilhan is that no one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about Latinx + other communities (during the shutdown, a GOP member yelled ‘Go back to Puerto Rico!’ on the floor),” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

“It’s not my position to tell people how to feel, or that their hurt is invalid,” she continued. “But incidents like these do beg the question: where are the resolutions against homophobic statements? For anti-blackness? For xenophobia? For a member saying he’ll ‘send Obama home to Kenya?'”

It’s not my position to tell people how to feel, or that their hurt is invalid.

But incidents like these do beg the question: where are the resolutions against homophobic statements? For anti-blackness? For xenophobia? For a member saying he’ll “send Obama home to Kenya?”

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 5, 2019

The latter appeared to refer to recently resurfaced comments that Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) made while former President Obama was in office. Meadows addressed the comments last week, saying “there is not a racial bone in my body.”

Ocasio-Cortez went on to defend Omar, noting that she believes her fellow rookie Democrat “demonstrated a willingness to listen+work w/impacted communities” after she drew allegations of anti-Semitism for comments made last month.

“Calling out” is one of the measures of last resort, not 1st or 2nd resort.

We do it when repeated attempts to “call in” are disrespected or ignored. And I believe that Ilhan, in her statement a few weeks ago, has demonstrated a willingness to listen+work w/impacted communities.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 5, 2019

Omar has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks over her comments about Israel.

She previously came under fire over a since-deleted tweet from 2012, sent during the Gaza war, in which she wrote: “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine #Israel.”

The congresswoman was widely criticized last month for suggesting U.S. lawmakers supported Israel because of money from a pro-Israel lobbying group. She later apologized for the comments.

Omar reignited controversy when she said at a Washington bookstore forum last week that pro-Israel advocates are pushing “allegiance to a foreign country.” The comments have drawn bipartisan backlash, but Omar has defended her right to question the U.S.-Israel relationship.