But criticism of Israel is not inherently free of anti-Semitism, either — a point that I wish more critics of Israel would acknowledge. Here are a few such forms of anti-Semitism:

Calls for the elimination of the Jewish state that are suspiciously silent about the need to eliminate other religious states. Questioning Israel’s right to exist often falls into this category.

The old trope that Jews have secret powers to control other people. Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota congresswoman, dabbled in this sort of conspiracy when she tweeted in 2012 that Israel had “hypnotized the world” to keep people from seeing its “evil doings.”

The related trope that Jews use their money to control people. An example: A London mural that depicted hooknosed bankers running the world — which Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, initially defended. Another example: Omar’s claim over the weekend that members of Congress support Israel because of money they receive from pro-Israel lobbyists. “It’s all about the Benjamins,” she tweeted.

Yes, the tweet was bad.

Omar’s tweet turned into yesterday’s biggest political story. Her defenders argued that she wasn’t being anti-Semitic, because Aipac , the main pro-Israel lobbying group, and its members do spend significant sums of money to influence American politics.

I find that explanation unpersuasive.

It’s one thing to argue that campaign donations and other political spending play a role in congressional support for Israel. They do, much as political spending affects tax policy, health care, climate change and many other issues . But it’s factually wrong to say that congressional support for Israel is “all about” money.

The support also reflects Israel’s popularity among American voters and its longtime alliance with the United States. Most members of Congress who support Israel — including many who I think are too dismissive of its human rights violations — do so for genuine reasons. They believe what they’re saying. They haven’t been bought off.

Claiming otherwise is a double whammy: It’s inaccurate, and it traffics in an ancient bit of bigotry.

I am glad Omar apologized yesterday. “Anti-Semitism is real, and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” she said. It was a classy move, as The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank noted.