Omar rebuts Netanyahu criticism: ‘This from a man facing indictments for bribery’

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) responded to criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday by calling him out for facing likely indictments on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. 

“This from a man facing indictments for bribery and other crimes in three separate public corruption affairs. Next!” the Democratic lawmaker tweeted.

This from a man facing indictments for bribery and other crimes in three separate public corruption affairs.

Next! https://t.co/BX6qLpISKx

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 26, 2019

Netanyahu implicitly called out Omar during a speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference Tuesday when he said, “From this Benjamin: It’s not about the Benjamins.”

{mosads}The Israeli Prime Minister is expected to be indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, according to Israel’s attorney general, with the bribery charges related to his relationship with the owners of Israeli news site Walla. Netanyahu denies the allegations.

Omar drew bipartisan criticism earlier this year when she tweeted that politicians’ support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins.”

The comment was widely condemned as invoking an anti-Semitic trope about Jewish people controlling politics through money. She apologized for that comment.

Omar then reignited the controversy when said at a Washington, D.C., event that she wanted “to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

Those comments were widely condemned as invoking an anti-Semitic trope about Jewish people having dual loyalty to their own countries and Israel.

Omar’s comments have dominated discussions at the AIPAC conference. 

Netanyahu said Tuesday at AIPAC that support for his country from American lawmakers “is not because they want our money. It’s because they share our values.”