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[quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]I don't always agree with Tom Friedman, but this is a very concise summation of where he thinks Omar is on the issue. It's worth the two minute read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/opinion/israel-ilhan-omar.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage[/quote]

His main issue seems to be that she supports BDS, while also having criticisms of it. But, he like her, doesn't believe in passing laws against it. But, in this part he is completely wrong:

"And one issue she seems to have seized on is the alleged dual loyalty of Jews to America and Israel."

As I have said repeatedly, this is a mischaracterization of what she said at Busboys and Poets. She didn't question or suggest dual loyalty among Jews. To the contrary, she said she understood their support for the country and compared it to her children's support for Somalia. What she questioned was political pressure to support another country, the example being the anti-BDS law which enables punishing US citizens for exercising their 1st Amendment rights in order to protect the interests of Israel. 
[/quote]

Exactly right - and it's easy to trace the political pressure.  AIPAC pumps huge amounts of money into politics on both sides of the aisle, in some cycles even outspending the NRA per FEC filings.  Ilhan Omar has made reference to that as well and was denounced as "raising old stereotypes about Jews and money" for it despite it being very much a true and accurate statement.

None of those things are anti-Semitic, yet Ilhan Omar is accused of being anti-Semitic for nothing more than making those kinds of factual statements.

Calling on Israel to stop shooting children and journalists at the border (as they have repeatedly done) is also not anti-Semitic.  Criticizing the Netanyahu government on not following UN agreements on settlements and other things is not anti-Semitic.  But sadly we *are* in fact living in times where even any legitimate, fact-based statement that is critical of Israel is denounced as anti-Semitic.  There just isn't any disputing that given the facts.[/quote]

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