Zeldin, Accused of Bigotry by Omar, Hits Back at 'Poison' Personal Attack

Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., charged Thursday that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is trying to "poison" a new congressional alliance by accusing him of "bigotry" in her endorsement of the new caucus.

The Jewish lawmaker announced the newly formed Congressional Black-Jewish caucus at an AJC global forum with Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., and Brenda Lawrence, D- Mich.

AJC is a global Jewish advocacy organization.

Zeldin said the group is aimed at "building bridges."

"Be helpful, accurate & better. Unite; don't divide or try to poison like this latest personal attack. This is bigger than us & we have to be better than this," Zeldin tweeted. 

The post was in response to Omar's earlier tweet in which she said she wanted to make it "clear" her endorsement of the caucus was not an endorsement of Zeldin's "bigotry."

Zeldin was among lawmakers to call out controversial remarks Omar made that he and others claimed were anti-Semitic.

He went on to be one of 23 Republicans to vote against an anti-Semitism bill in March, arguing it did not go far enough by not identifying Omar. 

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