House Progressive Caucus Chair Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has called Israel "a racist state." Several Jewish-American Democrats, most notably Representatives Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), condemned Rep. Jayapal's comments in a letter.
For context, Rep. Jayapal spoke at a Netroots Nation conference in Chicago. The event was interrupted by several protestors who chanted "Free Palestine," to which Jayapal responded, "I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state."
In her apology statement Sunday, Rep. Jayapal said she was referring to policies enacted by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not the concept of Israel as a nation. Moreover, she claimed her response to the protestors was "responding to the deep pain and hopelessness that exists for Palestinians and their diaspora communities," adding, "I in no way intended to deny the deep pain and hurt of Israelis and their Jewish diaspora community that still reels from the trauma of pogroms and persecution, the Holocaust, and continuing antisemitism and hate violence that is rampant today."
Reps. Wasserman Schultz and Moskowitz thanked Jayapal for her apology in the letter, adding they will never allow "extremist views from groups aligned with either party... to rewrite history and question the Jewish State's right to exist" to succeed in Congress.
Moreover, Wasserman Schultz and Moskowitz concluded by saying, "We will never allow anti-Zionist voices that embolden antisemitism to hijack the Democratic Party and country."
Nonetheless, Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) commented on the incident in a recent tweet, mocking how easily forgiven Jayapal was than she would have been if she were a Republican.
"Did you hear about the racist ultra-MAGA member of Congress that called Israel a “racist state”? Oh, wait, that was, in fact, @RepJayapal, the anti-Israel and antisemitic Democrat Chair of the Progressive Caucus. It’s time to wake up and realize who these people are," tweeted Rep. Donalds.
Did you hear about the racist ultra-MAGA member of Congress that called Israel a “racist state”?
Oh, wait, that was, in fact, @RepJayapal, the anti-Israel and antisemitic Democrat Chair of the Progressive Caucus.
It’s time to wake up and realize who these people are.
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) July 17, 2023
