WASHINGTON — Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the only Jewish representative from New Jersey, is taking on fellow House Democrat Ilhan Omar over a series of tweets accusing lawmakers who support Israel of being bought off.

“We are deeply alarmed by recent rhetoric from certain members within our caucus, including just last night, that has disparaged us and called into question our loyalty to our nation,” Gottheimer and Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and other House Democratic leaders.

“We urge you to join us in calling on each member of our caucus to unite against anti-Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes,” they wrote. “We cannot remain silent in the face of hateful speech or actions.”

The letter was being circulated on Monday for signatures among other Jewish House Democrats. A copy was obtained by NJ Advance Media.

House Democratic leaders, led by Pelosi, later issued a statement reiterating their support for Israel “based on shared values and strategic interests” while acknowledging that “legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate that the United States and Israel share.”

“But Congresswoman Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive,” they said. "We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments.

Omar responded via Twitter that she never intended “to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole" and apologized “unequivocally.”

Listening and learning, but standing strong 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1 — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019

Gottheimer’s letter was a response to a series of tweets by Omar, D-Minn., one of two Muslims elected to the House last fall. She supports Palestinian rights and has been critical of Israeli policy, but also suggested that Congress was being paid to support Israel, not that they have other reasons to back a staunch U.S. ally and a pro-western democracy in the Middle East.

“It’s all about the Benjamins, baby," she tweeted on Sunday. Asked later who was paying the lawmakers, she mentioned the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby that does not make any campaign contributions nor endorse candidates.

Her comments immediately were challenged by Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, who called them a “tired anti-Semitic trope” that was “inappropriate and upsetting.”

Words matter Rep. @IlhanMN. Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the US and abroad. The use of this tired anti-Semitic trope about Jews and money is inappropriate and upsetting. As Americans and Jews, we expect our politicians to condemn bigotry, not fuel it. https://t.co/SHKgVL5PWx — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 11, 2019

Omar has denied that her support for Palestinian rights is anti-Semitic.

My sister Rashida and I have been fighting against Anti-semitism, any effort to deny that is a smear.



We are pro-peace and realize without justice there is no peace!



Our domestic policy values need to be aligned with our foreign policy values. No exceptions! https://t.co/fKO5eYu8gb — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 5, 2019

While attacking Omar for “the cancerous bigotry that has fanned the flames of hate for centuries,” Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist., said Republican hands weren’t exactly clean.

“Several of the leaders of the Republican Party themselves trafficked in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories aimed at George Soros and others," Pascrell said. "Their comments were hurtful and fanned the same flames of hate. They should take this opportunity to also apologize for their actions.”

Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. grew by 57 percent from 2016 to 2017 following the election of President Donald Trump. His campaign was criticized by the ADL for engaging in anti-Semitic memes, such as tweeting a picture of rival Hillary Clinton and a Jewish star against a background of dollar bills and showing pictures of prominent Jews in his final campaign ad as the narrator described “these people that don’t have your good in mind."

Trump described some of the neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, as “very fine people.” And he falsely accused Soros, a Jewish financier, of financing a caravan of immigrants seeking asylum in the United States and of funding protesters opposed to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Soros was one of those sent pipe bombs last fall. The suspect is a strong supporter of the president.

He and two other two other wealthy Jews, Tom Steyer and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, were accused by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., of trying to “buy” the 2018 midterm election in a now-deleted tweet.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy posted this tweet AFTER a bomb was sent to Soros' house. Up until a couple of minutes ago it was pinned to the top of his profile. pic.twitter.com/FEeKoPolHL — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 24, 2018

"That seems to me like a straight-up anti-Semitic move,” Steyer told CNN in response to the tweet.

McCarthy’s current pinned tweet criticizes House Democratic leaders for not speaking out against Omar.

Anti-Semitic tropes have no place in the halls of Congress. It is dangerous for Democrat leadership to stay silent on this reckless language. — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 11, 2019

In October, 11 worshippers were gunned down in a Pittsburgh synagogue. One of Trump’s guests at his State of the Union address Feb. 5 was Judah Samet, a survivor of the Holocaust and of the Pittsburgh massacre.

“We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed,” Trump said in recognizing Samet. “With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.”

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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