Bernie Sanders Called Ilhan Omar to Offer His Support Amid Anti-Semitism Controversy

[Autumn]

The senator privately reached out to Omar after she was criticized by both parties for trafficking in anti-Semitic tropes while criticizing U.S. policy on Israel.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-called-ilhan-omar-to-offer-his-support-amid-anti-semitism-controversy

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reached out to Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday to offer his support amid criticism from both Democrats and Republicans that the progressive freshman lawmaker trafficked in anti-Semitic tropes on Twitter.

Omar’s office confirmed that the congresswoman spoke with Sanders—who is Jewish—but the conversation was off-record and so they could not go into further details about the contents of the discussion. A source familiar with the conversation confirmed to The Daily Beast that Sanders expressed support for Omar.

Earlier on Thursday, Jewish Insider reported that Sanders was asked about Omar’s tweets on a conference call hosted by James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute and a former member of the Democratic National Committee’s executive committee.

“I talked to Ilhan last night to give her my personal support,” Sanders was quoted as saying. “We will stand by our Muslim brothers and sisters.”

Zogby told The Daily Beast the call was off-record when contacted about the veracity of the reporting, but the source familiar with the lawmakers’ conversation confirmed the Jewish Insider story.

[denverbill]

1. Thank you Bernie. I agree with Omar.

I'm not anti-Semitic, but I'm anti-AIPAC and anti-Netanyahu.

[mountain grammy]

2. Thank you Bernie..

[Donkees]

3. To clarify, that's the report from mid February when they were part of a conference call.