Ilhan Omar, a vocal critic of Israel and member of the “Squad,” wins primary election – The Mercury News
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a progressive lightning rod who has not backed away from criticizing Israel and has deepened rifts in the Democratic Party over the war in Gaza, won her primary election on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Though she won, it marked a tumultuous summer for the ultra-liberal “Squad” faction of House members.
Two other members of the group, Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, lost their primaries in June and August after pro-Israel groups spent millions of dollars trying to influence the elections.
The 41-year-old congresswoman seeking her fourth term has significantly outfunded her three opponents, including former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels, who defeated her by 2,500 votes in the 2022 primary. Unlike some other primaries, Omar's race did not see significant outside contributions.
Midway through President Donald Trump's term, Omar was one of a group of far-left Democratic women of color elected to Congress, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
President Trump famously said in 2019 that Omar and the other three women should “go back” to their respective countries, although Omar is the only one not born in the United States.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and is one of two Muslim women in Congress, has faced backlash for her criticism of Israel and pro-Palestinian beliefs.
In 2023, House Republicans removed Omar from the Foreign Relations Committee on party lines, citing past comments she made about Israel that were widely condemned as anti-Semitic.
Omar sparked an uproar in April when she voiced support for pro-Palestinian protesters at a Columbia University encampment, suggesting some Jewish students were “pro-genocide.” Her daughter was one of several students suspended for attending the encampment.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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