Ilhan Omar labeled a 'liar' after claiming she was unaware of 'tropes about Jews and money:' 'Give me a break'

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Rep. Ilhan Omar says she 'wasn't aware' that there was a trope 'about Jews and money'

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday that she was "not aware" that there was a trope about "Jews and money" when pressed about her old controversial comments.

Jewish activists and community members fired back at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. for claiming that she was unaware there were "tropes about Jews and money" when pressed about her history of antisemitic rhetoric. 

During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Omar insisted that she was unfamiliar with the antisemitic tropes concerning "Jews and money" when she previously tweeted that the U.S. relationship with Israel is "all about the Benjamins." The "Squad" member was later forced to apologize for the comment after facing widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle.

"I certainly did not or was not aware that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been very enlightening part of this journey," Omar told CNN's Dana Bash when asked what she has learned from her time in Congress.

Rep. Ilhan Omar on CNN's "State of the Union." (Screenshot/CNN/StateOfTheUnion)

ILHAN OMAR PRESSED ON OLD COMMENTS: ‘WASN’T AWARE' THERE WERE TROPES ABOUT 'JEWS AND MONEY'

"To insinuate that I knowingly said these things when people have read into my comments to make it sound as if I have something against the Jewish community is so wrong," she said. 

Omar claimed in 2012 that "Israel has hypnotized the world," and added, "may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel." More recently, Omar compared the United States and Israel to terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban, and went so far as to blame her Jewish colleagues for taking issue with the remark.

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

Twitter users fiercely rebuked Omar for her latest comments on Sunday, accusing her of feigning ignorance while demanding her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"Give me a break. That's BS," Ted Cruz' special advisor of communications Steve Guest said of the lawmaker's defense.

"Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is not only an anti-Semite but also a bad liar," Israeli influencer and human rights activist Hananya Naftali tweeted.

International human rights lawyer Arsen Ovstrovsky called Omar a "liar and unrepentant antisemite."

"I hope no [one] believes Omar… she does not deserve to be on the House Foreign Affairs Comm.," he tweeted.

Former speechwriter for Israel's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Aviva Klompas wrote, "Please. Ilhan 'all about the Benjamins' Omar would like us to believe she had no idea there are tropes about Jews and money. Sure @IlhanMN. Sure."

Ohio Rep. Max Miller also fired back at his new colleague, tweeting "lazy stereotypes about Jews & money are some of the oldest anti-Semitic tropes in the book. I have a hard time buying these claims of ignorance. Ilhan Omar has no place serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee," he wrote.

Former congressional candidate Matthew Foldi pointed out that "top @HouseDemocrats bend over backward to simp for @IlhanMN, who just said she was unaware that "Jews control the weather, banks, and the world" is a centuries-old anti-Semitic trope."

Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind retweeted Omar's latest defense, with the caption, "Omar definitely learned a LOT about antisemitic tropes…Omar discovered that if she focuses on ‘Israel’ and ‘Zionists’ instead of ‘Jews’ she can promote the same blood libels and get away with it without looking like an overt neo-Nazi à la Kanye."

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Omar was joined by California Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell, and Adam Schiff in the interview Sunday to discuss House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's decision to remove Schiff and Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee and his vow to block Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. 

A full House vote is required for Omar’s removal from the committee. 

Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.