Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) arrives for a House Democrat caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has walked back her comments from Saturday referring to Israel as “a racist state.”
Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was speaking on a panel during the Netroots Nation conference when pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the session; Jayapal responded to the disruption by saying: “I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us.” Her remarks sparked a fury of backlash against her; the American Jewish Committee tweeted that Jayapal’s comments were “slanderous” and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said in a statement that Jayapal’s remarks were “evocative of Soviet-era antisemitic tropes attacking Jewish rights to self-determination.”
In a statement posted to social media, Jayapal said she was attempting “to defuse a tense situation” but acknowledged that “words do matter.” “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist,” Jayapal said. “I do, however, believe that Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government. I believe it is incumbent on all of us who are striving to make our world a more just and equitable place to call out and condemn these policies and this current Netanyahu government’s role in furthering them.” She then reiterated her support for a two-state solution and argued that “many” of the Israeli government’s policies have made it “extremely difficult for Palestinians who simply want the same rights as their Israeli neighbors to believe such a solution is possible.” Japayal added that she didn’t intend “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.”
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) July 16, 2023
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted, “We welcome Rep. Jayapal’s clarification of her rashly inaccurate and reckless statement at the NetRoots conference. We see again and again how hostile rhetoric can spawn hateful actions, so we would hope that an elected official at her level would choose her words far more carefully. While we vehemently disagree with many of Rep. Jayapal’s characterizations of Israel and its policies, we share her hope of an ultimate two-state solution to the conflict. Happy to travel with Rep. Jayapal to Israel at any point to share with her a diverse, vibrant country where Jews, Muslims, Christians and Bahais; Arabs and Israelis; gay and straight; and essentially people of all ethnicities, faiths and persuasions are living and working side by side.”
We welcome Rep. Jayapal's clarification of her rashly inaccurate and reckless statement at the NetRoots conference. We see again and again how hostile rhetoric can spawn hateful actions, so we would hope that an elected official at her level would choose her words far more… https://t.co/RfEtG0Tdd4
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) July 16, 2023
J Street thanked Jayapal for her statement. “Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is deepening the occupation and doing untold harm to Israel’s democracy,” they tweeted. “To truly support a secure, just, peaceful future for Israelis & Palestinians, the US needs to push back against discriminatory & destructive policies.”
Thank you, @RepJayapal.
Netanyahu's far-right coalition is deepening the occupation and doing untold harm to Israel's democracy. To truly support a secure, just, peaceful future for Israelis & Palestinians, the US needs to push back against discriminatory & destructive policies. https://t.co/KlqSSQJ5wY
— J Street (@jstreetdotorg) July 16, 2023
A letter authored by seven Jewish Democrat congressman stated that the legislators “appreciate her retraction,” per Axios. “Israel is the legitimate homeland of the Jewish people and efforts to delegitimize and demonize it are not only dangerous and antisemitic, but they also undermine America’s national security,” the letter stated. “We will never allow anti-Zionist voices that embolden antisemitism to hijack the Democratic Party and country.”
Others were less forgiving toward Jayapal.
“Too little, too late @RepJayapal,” International Legal Forum CEO Arsten Ostrovsky tweeted. “This is not a real ‘apology’, but an essay in singling out Israel for opprobrium, while giving the Palestinian leadership, which continues to pay terrorist salaries and reject peace, a free pass. This kind of attitude continues to impede peace.”
Too little, too late @RepJayapal. This is not a real 'apology', but an essay in singling out Israel for opprobrium, while giving the Palestinian leadership, which continues to pay terrorist salaries and reject peace, a free pass. This kind of attitude continues to impede peace. https://t.co/hAznkP8Skp
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 16, 2023
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein asked Jayapal in a tweet, “Where is your concern [regarding] dangerous Palestinian leaders like Hamas & Islamic Jihad who teach violence against Jews to their kids, & launch rockets from within Palestinian population centers? Or [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas, who incentivizes terrorism by paying terrorists in prison?”
Wait-@RepJayapal-Where is your concern re. dangerous Palestinian leaders like Hamas & Islamic Jihad who teach violence against Jews to their kids, & launch rockets from within Palestinian population centers? Or Abbas, who incentivizes terrorism by paying terrorists in prison? https://t.co/CzeOCHvaYB
— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) July 17, 2023
Sports journalist and social media influencer Emily Austin tweeted in response to Jayapal, “Super disappointed in your comments. The reason we don’t reach a two state solution is because PALESTINIANS are unwilling to compromise. Please don’t hide behind your race and gender as an excuse to justify defending terrorism. If you are open to having conversations about the conflict, that would be great. If not, don’t act like the expert on the matter.”
Super disappointed in your comments. The reason we don’t reach a two state solution is because PALESTINIANS are unwilling to compromise. Please don’t hide behind your race and gender as an excuse to justify defending terrorism. If you are open to having conversations about the…
— Emily Austin (@emilyraustin) July 16, 2023
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