Head of ADL Jonathan Greenblat was slammed for lauding a statement by Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar [Dem] in which she distanced herself from allegations of antisemitism, claiming in a Tweet from January 22 that she used an "antisemitic trope" unknowingly in 2012 when she said during a CNN interview that "Israel has hypnotized the world" to carry out "evil."
Hats off to @bariweiss for her op-ed on why the Jewish community was disturbed by @IlhanMN 2012 tweet evoking old anti-Semitic trope. And hats off to Rep Omar for her honest apology & commitment to a more just world. Open & respectful conversations will help us achieve this goal. https://t.co/zCpoFH8bSK
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) January 22, 2019
"Hats off to Rep Omar for her honest apology," Greenblatt wrote, before saying she is committed to "a more just world."
Omar never apologized for calling Israel “evil” and an “apartheid regime,” said the ZOA in a statement on Monday. "Rep. Omar lacks credibility and her weak words of 'apology' can’t be taken seriously. ... ZOA believes that it is a serious mistake for ADL/Greenblatt to accept Rep. Omar’s limited 'apology.'"
Hundreds called on Omar to resign when it became known she called on US District Judge Michael Davis to show "compassion" during a 2016 trial of Somali-American men who planned to travel to Syria and join ISIS to fight and kill for radical Islamic values.
Eventually all men were given a sentence of at least 15 years, the Daily Mail reported.
This week, journalists and experts slammed Omar for her comments appearing to back Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela and warning against a US backed coup in that country.