Give credit to Representative Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.). She seems to understand that when you are caught saying something hateful and outrageous, the best way out of the mess is to give an apology that sounds as if you understand that you've done something wrong and are genuinely sorry.
But despite an excellent apology, Omar doesn't deserve the forgiveness many members of her party are willing to give her. By also doubling down on her attacks on AIPAC in the same statement as her apology, Omar reminded us that the core of this dispute wasn't merely a slip of the tongue or a moment of anger while at the keyboard. Far from being sincere in her desire to avoid future hurtful exchanges with Jews, Omar reiterates the policy positions that are driving such disputes. It is her deliberate attack on the right of supporters of Israel to speak up in this country and the right of Israel to exist that is the problem, not her learning curve about the history of anti-Semitism.
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