Monday May 6, 2019
BY BRETT SAMUELS 
© Greg NashConservatives slam Omar over Gaza tweet: 'How many times will Omar rush to the defense of terrorists?
Conservative and members of House GOP leadership criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over a tweet in which she lamented the violence in Gaza over the weekend. "How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?" Omar tweeted Sunday night, amid a burst of violence over the weekend that left close to two dozen Palestinians and four Israelis dead. "The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable," she continued. "Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace." Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza reached a cease-fire on Monday morning, according to multiple reports. Conservatives seized on Omar's comments to suggest the congresswoman was voicing support for Hamas, a Palestinian group behind hundreds of rockets fired over the weekend.
"Real question is how many times will @IlhanMN rush to the defense of terrorists?" she tweeted, a message that was retweeted by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.).
Donald Trump Jr. called Omar's tweet "deeply troubling" and accused Democratic leaders of "endorsing this insanity" by not rebuking the freshman congresswoman.1. Hamas controls Gaza.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 5, 2019
2. Hamas is firing rockets at civilians in Israel. 3. @IlhanMN is defending Hamas. Real question is how many times will @IlhanMN rush to the defense of terrorists? https://t.co/mrKQBz1TDa
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she agreed with Omar's tweet, and asked, "What should be done about Hamas?"It’s deeply troubling that we’ve reached the point where no one is shocked when sitting members of congress, like @IlhanMN & @RashidaTlaib, side with Hamas terrorists over Israel. By remaining silent, democrat leadership & presidential candidates are endorsing this insanity. https://t.co/A8STX8WqLf
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 6, 2019
Omar later retweeted a message responding to Haley that indicated the congresswoman was referring to "Hamas rockets, not Israeli rockets" in her tweet condemning the violence.
Agreed @IlhanMN so what should be done about Hamas? They are the ones behind all of this. https://t.co/9k5OwzSiiB
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 6, 2019
Omar's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.Very interesting that @NikkiHaley - unlike most everyone else on the right - understood that the rockets in @IlhanMN's tweet are Hamas rockets, not Israeli rockets, breaking through the all too human tendency to misread opponents in the most uncharitable way possible. https://t.co/jce8aTj9gI
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) May 6, 2019
Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress last November. Since then, they have been the subject of intense criticism from conservatives over their views on Israel and pro-Israel American groups.
Omar said she received an increase in death threats after President Trumptweeted a video that spliced together some of her comments about anti-Muslim sentiment with footage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.