Jewish-American figures condemn AIPAC ads attacking Ilhan Omar
Washington (QNN)- Jewish-American figures working in politics, policy and advocacy have slammed on Thursday AIPAC’s recent attacks on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
In a letter published on Thursday, the figures urged the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the country, known as AIPAC, to discontinue ads targeting Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib.
The letter was signed by figures from J Street, Americans for Peace Now, IfNotNow, and the ACLU.
AIPAC has been facing accusations of Islamophobia and incitement over attacks against congresswoman Ilhan Omar over a sponsored post claiming that Omar sees “no difference between America and the Taliban”, “Israel and Hamas” and “democracies and terrorists”.
“These Social media ads are dangerously misleading and risk inciting bigotry, harassment and violence against these lawmakers,” the figures wrote in the letter.
They continued, “We call on AIPAC to immediately discontinue these ads and apologize to the congresswomen.”
Jeremy Slevin, who is Omar’s communications director, said the language used by AIPAC is “identical” to hate messages and “death threats” the congresswoman receives.
“Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar’s life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads,” he wrote on Twitter.
The language AIPAC uses in paid ads to smear and vilify @IlhanMN is virtually identical to the language used in death threats she gets.
Make no mistake: AIPAC is putting Rep. Omar's life at risk with repeated Islamophobic attack ads. pic.twitter.com/Ehkn8qmW7p
— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) August 11, 2021
The leaders also said they “are united in condemning these ads as not merely misleading, but dangerously so given their potential to incite or inspire bigotry, harassment and violence against the lawmakers they target.”
“Displayed and amplified on media platforms that have been used to disseminate other misinformation that has helped radicalize some groups and individuals to the point of committing deadly violence, these vitriolic and divisive ads against women lawmakers of color who have been disproportionately subject to misogynist, racist hatred and threats are particularly reckless,” they added.
The Jewish-American figures have called on AIPAC to “cease running these ads and to apologize to the Congresswomen they unfairly and dangerously target.”
AIPAC, however, is known for its long history of running attack ads against vocal pro-Palestine voices and critics of ‘Israel’ in Congress who are mostly progressive Democrats.
The Facebook ad from AIPAC features a black-and-white image of Omar accompanied by text reading: “For Ilhan Omar, there is no difference between America and the Taliban. Between Israel and Hamas. Between democracies and terrorists.”
The ad is captioned: “Stand WITH America. Stand AGAINST Terrorists.”
In response to the accusations, AIPAC tweeted, “Your baseless attack on us can’t deflect from [Omar’s] attack on America and Israel.”
It continued, “It is outrageous for Rep. Omar to put the U.S. and Israel on the same level as the Taliban and Hamas. There is no moral equivalence between democratic allies and the terrorists who target them.”
Your baseless attack on us can't deflect from @Ilhan's attack on America and Israel.
It is outrageous for Rep. Omar to put the U.S. and Israel on the same level as the Taliban and Hamas.
There is no moral equivalence between democratic allies and the terrorists who target them. https://t.co/kqZqwZKdt8 pic.twitter.com/3idLSRtCpa
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) August 11, 2021
AIPAC was referring to controversy remarks made by Omar in June when she questioned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the US administration’s opposition investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The representative from Minnesota asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a hearing by the House Foreign Affairs Committee: “You opposed the court’s investigation in both Palestine and in Afghanistan.”
“In both of these cases, if domestic courts can’t or won’t pursue justice, and we oppose the ICC, where do we think victims are supposed to go for justice, and what justice mechanisms do you support for them?”
She followed with a tweet: “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban. I asked @SecBlinkenwhere people are supposed to go for justice.”
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
Her comments were met that time with waves of condemnations from lawmakers from both sides, criticising her for putting the US, Israel, in the same sentence as Hamas and the Taliban.
