On Monday, an ad began appearing on Facebook showing Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar’s face next to Hamas rockets.
A caption reads: “When Israel targets Hamas Rep. Omar calls it an ‘act of terrorism.’” The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group known as AIPAC, purchased the ads, which are still active as of today.
Omar’s office is calling on Facebook to immediately remove the ads, which “blatantly peddle both anti-Muslim hate speech and disinformation,” and on AIPAC to apologize.
“Given the number of threats of death and violence the congresswoman receives on a near-daily basis, it’s not just irresponsible—it’s incitement,” Omar’s deputy communications director, Isi Baehr-Breen, told The Nation.
The ad is one of three versions running on Facebook, reaching an estimated 1 million people each. Another of the ads includes an image of New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while the third goes after other congressional progressives, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representatives Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Too bad @AIPAC fans the flames of Islamophobia, rather than peace, with deceitful graphics and rhetoric like this. If only they supported Israelis and Palestinians like @IlhanMN. They could learn from her. pic.twitter.com/Y6LEh0BxXa
— Mark Pocan (@MarkPocan) May 19, 2021
Good job AIPAC.
Some people did something….
Terrorist Beeeyotch!