Rula Jebreal Criticizes Hakeem Jeffries, Faces Backlash for Comments

Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal received criticism from black lawmakers after referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as an "AIPAC monkey" during an appearance on Wajahat Ali’s podcast, "The Left Hook." Jebreal criticized Jeffries for his support of Israel and accused him of being influenced by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). She stated, "His name is Hakeem. 'Hakeem' is an Arabic name which means 'healer.' He’s not a healer, he’s a divider." Jebreal added, "He is a bought and paid by AIPAC monkey," while claiming she did not intend for her comment to be racist. Ali responded by noting the racial connotations of the term "monkey," and Jebreal attempted to clarify her statement by referencing the three wise monkeys. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) rejected her defense, stating, "To be clear, there isn’t a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries—a Black man—a ‘monkey’ or ‘errand boy.’" They criticized Ali for allowing such language in discourse, emphasizing the need to combat anti-Black racism. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also condemned the comments, asserting that calling a Black man a "monkey" is inherently racist. Jebreal later issued a statement on X, expressing her discontent with Jeffries' ties to AIPAC while acknowledging that her choice of words was inappropriate. Jeffries' office did not respond to requests for comment.