Donald Trump's ongoing attacks on Representative Ilhan Omar — including his shameless attempt to twist her words to imply that she was at best apathetic about the 9/11 attacks — should provoke some soul-searching among US Jewish leaders and opinion formers.
As a hijab-wearing woman born in Somalia and as one of the first two Muslim-American women to serve in Congress, it was inevitable that Omar would be in the crosshairs of the Islamophobic right as soon as she was elected. But there's no doubt that the reaction to her ill-advised comments earlier this year criticizing "allegiance to a foreign country" among pro-Israel lobbyists, which recalled anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish "dual loyalty" provided a golden opportunity for those who would attack her for who she is, regardless of what she says.
Read Full Article »