Ilhan Omar's Tweet About Gaza Rockets Draws Heat: 'How Many Times' Will She 'Rush to the Defense of Terrorists?'

Over the weekend, more than 600 rockets were fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza into civilian neighborhoods and areas in Israel. Israel responded, firing on the positions from which the attacks were launched. The escalated violence continued until a temporary cease-fire agreement early Monday.
The dramatic increase of violence in the always-present conflict prompted commentary from all quarters, from the President and National Security Advisor, to members of the House and Senate, and on through journalists, columnists, experts, and every day social media users.
Among those replies, perhaps the most tone deaf was from, Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is opposed to Israel politically, supports the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, and has come under fire multiple times for anti-Semitism in just the short few months she’s been a freshman congresswoman.
Omar tweeted a rhetorical question, and a condemnation of Israel over their being attacked by Hamas, and it didn’t go well for her.
“How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?” she wrote. “The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace.”
How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?
The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 5, 2019
The fact that she asked how many “rockets must be fired” caught the attention of a lot of people, and at last review the tweet had about 13,000 replies and just over 9,000 retweets. In the quote-retweet game, she came up pilloried, mostly from those on the right side of the aisle. Including, notably, Rep. Liz Cheney, who in response to Omar’s open question posed her own: “How many times will @IlhanMN rush to the defense of terrorists?”
1. Hamas controls Gaza.
2. Hamas is firing rockets at civilians in Israel. 3. @IlhanMN is defending Hamas. Real question is how many times will @IlhanMN rush to the defense of terrorists? https://t.co/mrKQBz1TDa
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 5, 2019
But Cheney was not, by a long shot, the only one. Here’s a sample.
Adam Rubinestein, of the Wall Street Journal and formerly of The Weekly Standard.
“How many more protestors must be shot, rockets must be fired…” writes Ilhan Omar. “Rockets must be fired.” Whole point is that indiscriminately firing rockets on a civilian population ain’t a “must.” https://t.co/eRcLpizom5
— Adam Rubenstein (@RubensteinAdam) May 5, 2019
T. Becket Adams of The Washington Examiner and formnerly of S.E. Cupp Unfiltered.
would love to know what “real justice” means. https://t.co/6riCuXAfeJ
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) May 6, 2019
Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer.
Gaza is not occupied. Israel withdrew. Gaza’s Palestinian leaders then burned synagogues and greenhouses full of food. Its leaders are terrorists who have attacked Israelis and Egyptians. The problem is not Israel. The problem is terrorists, and their supporters, like @IlhanMN. https://t.co/xxNisKp5sG
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) May 6, 2019
There will be peace when the palestinians love their children more than they hate the Jews and Israel.
-paraphrase; Golda Meir, 1973 https://t.co/WRxww7b36V
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) May 5, 2019
Author, speaker, and editor of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” podcast.
Defending genocidal Jew-hating terrorists right on cue https://t.co/k5MBp1l9hp
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 5, 2019
There were many, many more.
Once you say the status quo of indiscriminate rocket attacks is unsustainable, there’s your key to end the crisis. Hamas disarms, and all restrictions would naturally be lifted. Somehow many politicians think that’s less reasonable than Israel giving Hamas freedom to rearm. https://t.co/6OvVyhNnz2
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) May 6, 2019
Anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) defends Palestinian terrorists who are attacking Israel: https://t.co/8Ojg4dLE0M
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 5, 2019
Hamas has a new spokesperson https://t.co/4NihGDzEVo
— Jeremy Frankel (@FrankelJeremy) May 5, 2019
A genocidal Sunni jihadist group was democratically elected by a radicalized populace in an area from which Israel unilaterally withdrew, and @IlhanMN finds a way to still blame Israel. https://t.co/mCoqYTWkPs
— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) May 6, 2019
Gaza is occupied by Hamas, not Israel. Hamas is funded by Iran and works against the interest of Palestinians. It terrorizes the Gaza population and shoots rockets into civilian areas of Israel. You seem to be an apologist for Hamas. Hope I’m wrong. #SaveGazaFromHamas
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) May 6, 2019
Omar’s “Only real justice can bring about security” is code language. She’s saying that terrorism is justified until “real justice” is achieved. What is real justice? The destruction of Israel. Omar is an Islamist. https://t.co/jwnhzzDcVU
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) May 5, 2019
Ilhan Omar (D-Hamas) blames Israel even as we learn Hamas just targeted a hospital in Ashkelon.https://t.co/XT2rYyxRkY https://t.co/0mYVJ8u85i
— Crotchety Old Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) May 5, 2019
There were also hundreds, both by reply and retweet, who focused on the meaning of “real justice” in Omar’s tweet. Example:
Real justice? https://t.co/0B3uDloQTj
— JWF (@JammieWF) May 6, 2019
Here are more.
Katie Pavlich of Townhall and Fox News responded to both Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who made her own controversial comment on Twitter and elicited a similar response.
Shorter @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib: Israel civilians deserve it.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 5, 2019
Conservative Twitter favorite Ben McDonald offered a comparison with both tweets.
There we go pic.twitter.com/SFhP4mzUmF
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) May 5, 2019
Guess I can just thread this power team pic.twitter.com/UrsbcdVN4J
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) May 5, 2019
It’s worth pointing out that the substance of a critique, or even a sentiment, matters. It’s not an on/off position, as HuffPost and New York Magazine contributor Yashar Ali explained.
There is a way to criticize the policies of Netanyahu & his government without giving the impression that you are supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. Hamas receives substantial funding from Iran. The Iranians only fund groups like Hamas if they are promised acts of terror
— Yashar Ali :elephant: (@yashar) May 6, 2019
2. Iran always demand a return on their investment with respect to their funding of groups like Hamas. While Saudis throw their money around often without much accountability (thats what happens when you have Princes doling money out randomly), Iranians are horrifically effective
— Yashar Ali :elephant: (@yashar) May 6, 2019
That is pertinent because there is a false choice presented by some who argued back against criticism of Omar’s positions and tweet. Tablet Magazine’s Yair Rosenberg spelled it out.
This is a good encapsulation of one of Twitter's worst false choices: Nothing about being critical of Israeli policy requires you to defend Hamas, a terrorist group committed to Jewish genocide that brutalizes the people of Gaza. Don't fall for this sort of absolutist propaganda. https://t.co/V5XdrGhQ8z
— (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) May 6, 2019
Omar has not responded to the controversy in a Tweet, although she did offer an “oh my” regarding Trump insider Katrina Pierson posting a video of rockets being fired that were incorrectly identified as being among the hundreds of rockets that were fired by Hamas yesterday.
Oh my, for people who are constantly complaining about fake news, they certainly have an affinity for it!
The trump hacks vilification ploy is getting desperate and pathetic ??♀️ https://t.co/ZQpiqOoWu0
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 5, 2019
Pierson’s wrong tweet did not, it should be noted as a matter of the facts, somehow make it suddenly the case that Hamas and Iran-proxy Islamic Jihad didn’t actually launch any attacks. They did. That just wasn’t video of it.
If Omar responds to the controversy, Mediaite will have an update.
In the meantime, for a rather different take from a Democrat on the Hill, take a look at this tweet from Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
I condemn the rocket attacks on innocent civilians and stand in support of Israel and peace.
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) May 6, 2019
[Featured photo via Mark Wilson/Getty Images]
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