(CNN) Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday night defended Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, against “outrageous, racist” attacks, while insisting again that criticism of “a right-wing government in Israel” is not tantamount to anti-Semitism.
Speaking at a Fox News town hall in Pennsylvania, Sanders backed Omar — who has come under fire in the past for using anti-Semitic tropes while criticizing Israel — but also said she “has got to do maybe a better job in speaking to the Jewish community.”
Sanders, who would be the first Jewish president if elected in 2020, has argued repeatedly that the American government must take a harder line against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over its treatment of Palestinians. Netanyahu won re-election to his post, with the support of Israeli right-wing parties, in an election last week.
