Ilhan Omar: Congressional 'Squad' member denounced for spreading misinformation about Israel-Palestine war
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressional “Squad” member and a dedicated Palestinian advocate Representative Ilhan Omar came under the scanner as she drew harsh criticisms for reposting a picture of children earlier this weekend who were murdered in a 2013 Syrian chemical weapons attack with the headline “Child genocide in Palestine."
The Democratic party member's serious but baseless X post on Saturday, October 14, came after her fellow Democratic socialist Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez alarmed the public regarding the “incredibly high” level of “misinformation in all directions” on the platform concerning the Israel-Hamas war.
And of course Ilhan Omar is the one retweeting the wrong images of children.
— Chelsea Hart (@chelseahartisme) October 14, 2023
These children were killed in Syria, by Assad. Apparently the literal 724 children in Gaza who actually *WERE* killed by airstrikes, aren’t that important to you.
11 Palestinians currently being killed… pic.twitter.com/hELuHrBif0
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's appeal for caution last week
“If you see a claim, photo, or video that triggers a strong emotional reaction, take a moment to pause and check for veracity/confirmation from multiple sources,” the New York City lawmaker wrote last week in an appeal for caution.
According to Mediate, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee publicly named both congresswomen on X as it shared a screenshot of Omar’s graphic fake news message, which she had since un-reposted amid widespread blowback.
“You mean like this, @AOC?” the AIPAC wrote. “@IlhanMN is spreading dangerous misinformation, blaming Israel for killing kids who were killed by Assad in Syria 10 years ago.”
“Once again, the Squad doesn’t let the facts get in the way of their anti-Israel narrative,” the political action committee said.
You mean like this, @AOC? @IlhanMN is spreading dangerous misinformation, blaming Israel for killing kids who were killed by Assad in Syria 10 years ago.
— AIPAC | Text ISRAEL to 24722 | #StandWithIsrael (@AIPAC) October 14, 2023
Once again, the Squad doesn’t let the facts get in the way of their anti-Israel narrative. https://t.co/Ss1RitTpRZ pic.twitter.com/gJoho7cO4f
What did the US State Department say?
X had added a community note to the post, shedding light that it featured a widely published photo of the aftermath of a sarin gas attack launched by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war in Ghouta 10 years ago.
“This photo is NOT from Gaza/Palestine,” the platform noted. The ghastly attack it depicted had killed “more than 1,400 Syrians, many of them children,” according to the US State Department.
The ongoing Israel-Palestine war
Around 724 Palestinian children had been killed by Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Strip since Hamas militants unleashed a coordinated terror attack targeting civilians across the disputed border on October 7.
The savage and cowardly attack left more than 1,300 dead, Defense for Children International said on Saturday, October 14.
The Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday, Ocotber 15, that 2,670 Palestinians in total had been killed and 9,600 wounded since Israel declared war and launched counterattacks on military targets in the northern part of the disputed region, as Israel implored up to 1.1 million civilians to flee to the south to avoid more bloodshed.
Fox News commentator Guy Benson explained on the network’s “The Big Weekend Show” why it was irresponsible to mix the atrocities.
“Here’s the sad part. Palestinian children have been killed already. More Palestinian children will be killed in the days to come,” Benson said on Sunday, October 15.
“Cutting through the fog of war, it is important when we get those reports, verified or otherwise when that happens, is that Israel goes out of its way to avoid that, whereas Hamas goes out of its way to kill innocent people," he added.