A Muslim immigrant who is running for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s seat in 2024, called the Minnesota Democrat the “No. 1 antisemitic lawmaker in the United States.”
Dalia al-Aqidi, who is running as a Republican, said anyone who supports the Hamas militant group does not belong in the United States. She also said “far-left” progressives don’t know what they’re supporting.
“I’m telling you, Hamas is a terrorist group, and whoever supports these terrorists don’t belong to the United States of America, the land of the free,” Ms. al-Aqidi told Fox News on Tuesday. “When they call for a free Palestine and call ‘from river to the sea,’ this is a call for a genocide. Black Lives Matter and all these far-left progressives have no clue what they’re chanting about.”
Ms. al-Aqidi, who did her interview from Israel, said she went there to show solidarity with Jews and show them that “we, the people of Minnesota’s 5th [Congressional] District, are not like her. We support the Jewish people and we are fighting the same fight.”
She also said Ms. Omar’s House district has become “ground zero for antisemitism.”
“I’ve seen the houses, the burnt houses. You can smell it. It’s a place of destruction. And whoever says that Hamas, that these people are freedom fighters, no, freedom fighters don’t do that,” said Ms. al-Aqidi, who immigrated from Iraq. “Freedom fighters don’t hunt kids, don’t hurt women and the elderly from house to house and room to room.”
Ms. Omar and other House members of the far-left “Squad,” have faced backlash for their stance on the Israel-Hamas war. The Minnesota lawmaker has called for a cease-fire. Six of the eight Squad members voted last week against the “Standing with Israel” House resolution.
Ms. al-Aqidi says she is concerned about terrorist cells in the United States because of a lack of border protection under the Biden administration.
“We have no idea who’s coming through our borders. We have no idea about the ideology that some of these people have … We don’t know how many,” she said. “I’m so disappointed in the Biden administration for this policy and I hope it will change this next year.”
“Any respectable country around the world should be in charge of its borders,” she said.
The Washington Times has reached out to Ms. Omar’s office for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.