Palestinian journalist sparks backlash after calling Hakeem Jeffries an “AIPAC monkey”

Rula Jebreal’s description of Hakeem Jeffries as a “bought-and-paid-for AIPAC monkey” triggered condemnation after the Palestinian journalist criticized the U.S. House minority leader’s support for Israel on a podcast.

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He is a bought-and-paid-for AIPAC monkey.

Jebreal said Jeffries, who is Black, was “basically an errand boy,” adding that she did not mean the remark in a racist way. The podcast host intervened to note that the word “monkey” carries “terrible racial connotations,” while suggesting Jebreal had tried to clarify that she meant no racial animosity.

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With all due respect, and I don't mean it in a racist way. He is just basically an errand boy, and we're done and tired.

Jebreal then said she was referring to the image of three monkeys, one unable to see, one unable to hear and one unable to speak. Her explanation did not satisfy Black lawmakers. The Congressional Black Caucus wrote on X that “there isn’t a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries, a Black man, a ‘monkey’ or ‘errand boy.’” New York Representative Richie Torres similarly wrote that “calling a Black man a ‘monkey’ is racist. Full stop.”

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To be clear, there isn’t a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries, a Black man, a 'monkey' or 'errand boy.'

Jebreal later posted her own response, saying she was “disgusted and horrified” that Jeffries was taking money from AIPAC amid what she called Israel’s genocide in Palestine. She acknowledged that the term she used was “inappropriate and offensive and should never have been used” and added, “I apologize unconditionally.”

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I apologize unconditionally.