Ilhan Omar Dodges Question on Deadly D.C. Shooting of Israeli Diplomats, Refuses to Condemn Attack

By: Fern Sidman

Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing renewed backlash after refusing to comment on the targeted murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., an event that has rocked the Jewish and diplomatic communities across the globe. As The Daily Mail reported Thursday, Omar was approached by a reporter outside the U.S. Capitol and asked to offer a response to the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were gunned down Tuesday night after leaving a diplomatic reception.

“Congresswoman Omar, can I get your reaction to the shooting that happened in DC last night?” a reporter asked as she walked briskly past.

According to The Daily Mail report, Omar offered a curt reply—“I’m going to go for now”—before disappearing from view, refusing to acknowledge or condemn the heinous act of violence carried out against two Israeli government employees on U.S. soil.

Omar’s dismissal of the question, as shown in video footage published by The Daily Mail, has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, Jewish organizations, and public commentators who have long been wary of her record of inflammatory and often offensive rhetoric toward Israel and the Jewish community.

“In the wake of a targeted assassination of two Israeli diplomats in the heart of Washington, Omar couldn’t even summon a word of sympathy,” wrote one commentator in The Daily Mail’s coverage. “This isn’t political cowardice—it’s moral bankruptcy.”

The incident comes amid growing concern over escalating antisemitic rhetoric in public discourse, particularly surrounding the war between Israel and Hamas. For many observers, Omar’s refusal to comment has reinforced long-standing concerns about her alignment with pro-Palestinian extremist rhetoric and her unwillingness to denounce violence when Israelis are the victims.

As The Daily Mail noted, Omar’s history with the Jewish community and Israel has been fraught with controversy since her arrival in Congress in 2019. That same year, she ignited a firestorm by tweeting that political support for Israel was driven by financial influence, writing: “It’s all about the Benjamins,” a line widely condemned as invoking antisemitic tropes about Jews and money.

While she ultimately apologized after being pressed by Democratic leadership, Omar’s record since has done little to assure critics. She has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid,” compared Israeli military actions to those of the Taliban, and voted against resolutions condemning antisemitism—often citing free speech concerns.

“Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” Omar said in her 2019 apology, as recounted by The Daily Mail.

However, that apology did not mark a lasting shift in tone. She remains one of the most vocally anti-Israel members of Congress, and a leading figure in the so-called “Squad” of progressive lawmakers who have frequently drawn condemnation from centrist Democrats and Jewish advocacy groups alike.

The Daily Mail reported that in the hours following the Capitol Jewish Museum attack—an incident now under federal investigation as a likely antisemitic terrorist act, committed by suspect Elias Rodriguez, who reportedly shouted “Free, free Palestine” before confessing—most members of Congress issued statements of solidarity or condemnation.

Yet Omar remained silent, and her refusal to offer even a neutral comment to the press stands in sharp contrast to her rapid responses to other acts of violence, especially those she believes are related to Islamophobia or anti-immigrant hate.

Critics argue that her silence now is deafening, and point to a dangerous double standard when it comes to acknowledging Jewish suffering or antisemitic terrorism.

“This was a calculated, targeted assassination of two Israeli Jews in the U.S. capital. And Rep. Omar, who has commented on nearly every world conflict, just walks away?” one pro-Israel advocacy group told The Daily Mail. “This is the same selective empathy that fuels antisemitism today.”

As The Daily Mail report indicated, the murder of Lischinsky and Milgrim has triggered intensified discussions around the surge of antisemitism in America, especially in progressive spaces, on college campuses, and among elected officials. Many are now asking: How many more tragedies will it take for all leaders, regardless of ideology, to treat antisemitism with the same gravity as other forms of hate?

For now, Omar’s retreat from accountability has only fueled the perception that some progressive leaders refuse to apply their humanitarian values consistently—especially when the victims are Israelis or Jews.