Progressive Jewish groups call attacks on Omar ‘dangerous and unconscionable’

The progressive groups J Street and Bend The Arc: Jewish Action defended Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as President Trump escalates his attacks on the freshman Muslim lawmaker, with the latter calling Trump’s remarks “dangerous and unconscionable.”

“These attacks have gone far beyond strong policy disagreements or anything resembling responsible public discourse. Such reckless expressions of prejudice and hatred can and do incite violence and put our Muslim neighbors, friends and family in danger,” Ginna Green, Bend the Arc’s chief strategy officer, said in a statement. “This creates a dangerous climate not only for Muslims, but for every target of white nationalism. It is beyond shameful that the President of the United States would not only fail condemn this hate speech, but would lead the charge.”

{mosads}The group has defended Omar, who last year became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, on previous occasions when she has come under fire. Green commended Omar’s apology for remarks about the Israel lobby that critics have labeled anti-Semitic, calling the apology “what a real leader does” and contrasting it with remarks made by Trump in which he defended some attendees of a 2017 white nationalist rally as “very fine people.”

Last week, conservatives resurfaced a speech Omar made to the Council on American Islamic Relations in March, in which she said some people held all Muslims responsible after the 9/11 attacks because “some people did something.”

Her detractors, including Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), accused her of minimizing the attacks.

“Already, this incitement has led to death threats against the congresswoman, putting her life and security in danger,” J Street said in its statement. “In the face of this hatred, it’s vital that all responsible voices, from advocacy groups and community leaders to elected officials and presidential candidates, make clear that we stand firmly behind Rep. Omar and the Muslim community.”

On Friday, Trump tweeted a video of the attacks intercut with footage of Omar’s speech. On Monday morning, after reports that death threats against Omar spiked after the tweet, Trump blasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for defending her, calling her Pelosi’s “leader.”  

Pelosi said Sunday she has asked Capitol police to monitor Omar’s safety.