Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that he finds rising anti-Israel sentiments "disturbing," including by "some of the new members of the House of Representatives."
The Kentucky Republican was asked about freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar's comment last week that suggested Israel's supporters are pushing lawmakers to pledge "allegiance" to the Jewish state. In response, House Democrats are expected this week to present a resolution condemning anti-Semitism.
McConnell noted that the Senate last month passed a provision that would let states penalize businesses that take part in boycotts or divestments of Israel.
Omar is a supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement that promotes various forms of boycotts against Israel.
McConnell said the BDS movement "is a clear example of rising anti-Israel sentiment in our country which is very disturbing and that's been underscored by comments of some of the new members of the House of Representatives."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, gave Omar a boost in the party's increasingly bitter split over Israel.
The New York Democrat tweeted Tuesday about her party's leaders and their plan to rebuke Omar for suggesting that supporters of Israel pledge "allegiance to a foreign country."
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: "No one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about Latinx + other communities."
Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, has apologized for previous comments about Israel, but she's not apologizing for the statement that reminded many members of Congress of a Jewish trope about having split loyalties. Republicans have demanded that she be stripped of her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Omar's newest remarks about Israel mark a "dark day" for the Jewish state.
Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, tweeted that "Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel."
The House is expected to vote on the resolution Wednesday.
