A representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has defended the antisemitic comments of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
According to the website Citizen Truth, Robert McCaw, director of government affairs for CAIR, said his organization does not see the antisemitism in Omar’s pointing an accusatory finger at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), saying the organization is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel.
“CAIR supports Representative Omar and her efforts to highlight the lobbying efforts of [AIPAC],” McCaw commented. “CAIR does not feel there was any antisemitic meaning in her tweet, but due to the brevity some took it as such.”
Citizen Truth reported that McCaw thanked Omar for “standing firm in her willingness to speak out” about the influence of organizations such as AIPAC in Washington, D.C.
Omar is slated to be a keynote speaker next month at a CAIR benefit in Los Angeles.
The organization is known for supporting terrorist organizations that have acted against Israel and the United States, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
FBI investigators uncovered evidence establishing CAIR's place in the "Palestine Committee," which was a Muslim Brotherhood-created network aimed at helping Hamas in the United States, according to a report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism. In 2009, US District Court Judge Jorge Solis ruled that there is "at least a prima facie case as to CAIR's involvement in a conspiracy to support Hamas."
Moreover, the organization was officially designated a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates in 2014, placing it in the company of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and others.
In early February, a Twitter storm erupted around Omar’s comment that support for Israel is “all about the Benjamins,” quoting rap lyrics that refer to $100 bills.
Omar received heavy backlash for the comments and was accused of antisemitism, with leaders on both the Right and Left condemning her remarks.
In his comments, McCaw also noted that, “Islamophobia is a top-down problem in the Republican party."