(CNN) The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called Friday for freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar to apologize after insinuating that pro-Israel groups are pushing "allegiance to a foreign country."

Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel's demand comes after a bookstore event Wednesday where Omar argued that critics labeling her as an anti-Semite looked to silence a necessary conversation.

"I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country," Omar said, according to The New York Times.

In a fiery statement Friday night, Engel, a New York Democrat, took Omar to task for yet another controversial comment over the political influence of pro-Israel groups on politicians.

"I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it's unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the US-Israel relationship," Engel said in the statement. "We all take the same oath. Worse, Representative Omar's comments leveled that charge by invoking a vile anti-Semitic slur."

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