Palestinian-Italian journalist Rula Jebreal sparked a sharp backlash this week after calling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries an “AIPAC monkey” and “errand boy” on a podcast, comments that Democratic lawmakers and the Congressional Black Caucus denounced as racist.
Jebreal made the remarks Wednesday on Wajahat Ali’s “The Left Hook” podcast while criticizing Jeffries, a Black Democrat from New York, over his support for Israel and ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “His name is Hakeem. ‘Hakeem’ is an Arabic name which means ‘healer.’ He’s not a healer, he’s a divider,” she said. “He is a bought and paid by AIPAC monkey. 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.”
Ali immediately noted that “monkey” carries “terrible racial connotations” when used about a Black person. Jebreal replied that she was referring to the three wise monkeys who “cannot hear, cannot see, cannot speak.” The clip spread quickly online.
Condemnations from Democrats
The Congressional Black Caucus rejected the explanation. “To be clear, there isn’t a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries—a Black man—a ‘monkey’ or ‘errand boy,’” the group posted. It also criticized Ali’s platforming of the comments, saying low standards for discourse allow people to “get comfortable being openly bigoted” and calling for an end to “anti-Black racism, whether it’s on the political right or the left.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote that “calling a Black man a ‘monkey’ is racist. Full stop,” and argued a double standard would apply if the speakers were on the right. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) called the rhetoric “blatantly racist and offensive.” Progressive Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said using “monkey or errand boy” against Jeffries or any Black man is “absolutely disgusting and unacceptable under any circumstances.”
Atlantic writer Jonathan Chait highlighted another layer: even the “not racist” version of the remark implied “the Black Speaker of the House is a brainless puppet of the Jews.” Some commentators also noted Jebreal had previously criticized others, including Ron DeSantis, for language involving “monkey.”
Apology and lingering criticism
Jebreal posted an apology on X: “I am disgusted and horrified that Hakeem Jeffries is taking money from AIPAC amidst Israel’s genocide in Palestine. That said, a term that I used to describe him was inappropriate and offensive and should never have been used. I apologize unconditionally.” Critics described the statement as leading with the original accusation rather than a clean retraction. Jeffries’ office did not immediately comment.
The episode underscored tensions inside the Democratic coalition over Israel policy, AIPAC’s influence, and standards for racial language when they collide with foreign-policy disputes. Jebreal has long been a vocal critic of Israel; Jeffries has received substantial support from pro-Israel PACs over his career. The controversy added to existing intra-party friction heading into the midterms.
SOURCES:
Rula Jebreal apologizes after racist Hakeem Jeffries monkey remark | Fox News
Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal calls Hakeem Jeffries an ‘AIPAC monkey’ — claims she didn’t mean it in a ‘racist way’
Congressional Black Caucus Condemns Rula Jebreal Over ‘AIPAC Monkey’ Slur Against Hakeem Jeffries – i24NEWS
Hakeem Jeffries Is Hapless in the House – WSJ
Opinion | Moderate defections test Hakeem Jeffries. The DSA is watching. – The Washington Post
