Democrat Jayapal Apologizes for Calling Israel 'Racist'

Facts

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who heads a large group of progressive Democrats in the US Congress, apologized on Sunday for saying that Israel is a racist state, following pushback from Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives.¹
• In a video circulated on social media, Jayapal responded to pro-Palestinian demonstrators who interrupted the event saying: 'Israel is a racist state, 'the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy,' and 'the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us.'²
• Jayapal apologized later on Sunday, saying she did not believe that 'Israel as a nation is racist,' but that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government 'has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies.'³
• Jayapal also said in her apology that she was trying to 'defuse a tense situation' at the conference, and offered her 'apologies' to anyone who was hurt by her statements.⁴
• Top Democrats, as well as Republicans, criticized Jayapal's comments. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said in a joint statement that Israel is not a racist state, adding that all its citizens enjoy 'complete equality of social and political rights.'⁵
• Jayapal's comments come only a few days before Israeli Pres. Issaq Herzog is set to address Congress. Progressives, such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jamal Bowman (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Cori Bush (D-MO), have pledged to boycott his address, citing human rights concerns.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²FOX News, ³NPR Online News, ⁴NBC, ⁵New York Post and ⁶Newsweek.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Jayapal's comments were unacceptable, and such positions have no place in US mainstream politics. The Democratic Party has no room for 'anti-Zionists,' who in reality use Israel as a dog whistle for the Jewish people. Comments like this only fuel the rising violence of antisemitism in America and must be thoroughly opposed.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. It is not antisemitic to point out that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians. More and more mainstream human rights organizations, including Israeli ones like B'tselem, have begun to use the apartheid label to describe the Israeli state's practices, which are inherently racist toward Palestinians. Jayapal's comments should not have garnered any controversy.