Rula Jebreal insults Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as a 'monkey,' then apologizes

Rula Jebreal attacked Hakeem Jeffries over his support for Israel, calling the Democratic leader in the U.S. House an “AIPAC monkey” during an interview with Wajahat Ali’s podcast, The Left Hook. She later apologized for the language.

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AIPAC monkey

Jebreal said Jeffries’ first name, Hakeem, means “healer” in Arabic, but argued that he was instead “a person who divides.” She described him as someone “bought and paid for by AIPAC” and said, “We’ve had enough, we’re tired.”

The journalist then expressed disgust that Jeffries accepted AIPAC money while what she called Israel’s genocide in Palestine was taking place. But she acknowledged that the term she had used to describe him was “inappropriate and offensive” and said she should never have used it.

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I am disgusted and horrified that Hakeem Jeffries accepts money from AIPAC while Israel’s genocide in Palestine is taking place. That said, the term I used to describe him was inappropriate and offensive, and I should never have used it. I offer my unconditional apologies.

Her remarks triggered controversy and criticism from the Congressional Black Caucus. “To be clear, there is no non-racist way to describe Leader Jeffries, an African American, as a ‘monkey’ or ‘delivery boy,’” the group said, arguing that the episode showed how people become comfortable with openly intolerant language when standards for public debate are lowered.

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To be clear, there is no non-racist way to describe Leader Jeffries, an African American, as a 'monkey' or 'delivery boy.'