Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in 2016. Photo: Lorie Shaull via Flickr.

JNS.org – The anti-Israel group IfNotNow has endorsed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for re-election in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.

“BREAKING: IfNotNow Movement Rejects Racist Attacks, Becomes Latest Jewish Group to Endorse @IlhanMN for Re-election,” tweeted the group in a thread on Tuesday.

“As American Jews, we’re proud to support Representative @IlhanMNin her re-election campaign. In her first two years in Congress, despite unrelenting attacks, Ilhan has remained steadfast in advocating for progressive policies, and opposing Trump’s authoritarian agenda,” continued IfNotNow. “Over the last several months, @AIPAC and its allies, like @DemMaj4Israel, have raised millions for Ilhan’s opponent—a repeat of their strategy to defend Eliot Engel from Jamaal Bowman’s primary challenge. This strategy failed in New York and it will fail in Minneapolis.”

Omar will face four opponents in her district’s Aug. 11 Democratic primary. Her top opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux, outraised Omar between April and June with $3.3 million to Omar’s $470,000.

Omar has perpetuated antisemitic tropes on Twitter and introduced a resolution in Congress that promotes boycotts of Israel, likening them to boycotts of Nazi Germany.

In February 2019, a month after being sworn in, Omar accused AIPAC of paying members of Congress to back Israel, saying it was “all about the Benjamins.”

The following month, she pointed fingers at her “Jewish colleagues” for attacking her and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for labeling their criticisms as anti-Israel because of the Muslim faith of the two congresswomen, in addition to slamming her critics regarding “the political influence in this country that says it is OK to push for allegiance to a foreign country.”

This led to the passing of a House resolution condemning antisemitism and other forms of hatred that did not call out Omar by name.