Monday May 6, 2019
BY BRETT SAMUELS
© Greg NashConservatives slam Omar over Gaza tweet: 'How many times will Omar rush to the defense of terrorists?
Conservative and members of House GOP leadership criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over a tweet in which she lamented the violence in Gaza over the weekend.
"How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?" Omar tweeted Sunday night, amid a burst of violence over the weekend that left close to two dozen Palestinians and four Israelis dead.
"The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable," she continued. "Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace."
Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza reached a cease-fire on Monday morning, according to multiple reports.
Conservatives seized on Omar's comments to suggest the congresswoman was voicing support for Hamas, a Palestinian group behind hundreds of rockets fired over the weekend.
Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the House, tweeted that Omar "is defending Hamas."
"Real question is how many times will @IlhanMN rush to the defense of terrorists?" she tweeted, a message that was retweeted by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.).
Donald Trump Jr. called Omar's tweet "deeply troubling" and accused Democratic leaders of "endorsing this insanity" by not rebuking the freshman congresswoman.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she agreed with Omar's tweet, and asked, "What should be done about Hamas?"
Omar later retweeted a message responding to Haley that indicated the congresswoman was referring to "Hamas rockets, not Israeli rockets" in her tweet condemning the violence.
Omar's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress last November. Since then, they have been the subject of intense criticism from conservatives over their views on Israel and pro-Israel American groups.