Jewish House Democrats call out Rep. Omar for equating US, Israel to Hamas, say comments 'offensive'

Jewish House Democrats issued a letter asking Omar to clarify her words.
Ilhan Omar

A group of Jewish House Democratic are asking Rep. Ilhan Omar's to explain her recent comments equating the United States and Israel to terror groups Hamas and the Taliban, which they say are "offensive" and "at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice."

The group of 12 made their request in a letter Wednesday and include Reps. Brad Sherman of California, Jerry Nadler of New York, Brad Schneider of Illinois and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

The letter came after a meeting among Jewish Democratic lawmakers discussing anti-Semitism, according to The Jewish telegraph Agency.

The letter centers an Omar tweet Monday in which she wrote: "We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban."

Omar tweeted the statements following Secretary of State Antony Blinken's testimony to the House Foreign Affairs committee.

She questioned him over the United States' lack of support for International Criminal Court investigations into the U.S. and Israel.

The group in the letter urged Omar to clarify her words, saying, "equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided."

They argued that equating terror groups to democracies "at best discredits one's intended arguments and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice."

Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, has not directly responded to letter but said on Twitter that every time she speaks out on human rights she's "inundated with death threats."