Journalist’s Racist Comment Erupts — Top Dem Rep Furious

press interview with microphones and cameras outdoors — Photo: wellphoto / Shutterstock

One word detonated a week of outrage: “monkey.”

Story Snapshot

Rula Jebreal called Hakeem Jeffries an “AIPAC monkey,” then denied racist intent and later apologized unconditionally.
The Congressional Black Caucus and senior Democrats called the remark blatantly racist, with no “non-racist” reading.
Jeffries has been a strong, public backer of Israel since the October 7 Hamas attacks, which Jebreal says drove her critique.
This clash shows how fights over Israel policy often slide into slurs and identity warfare rather than policy debate.

The remark, the instant backlash, and the walk-back

Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian-Italian journalist, went on Wajahat Ali’s podcast and called House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries an “AIPAC monkey” and an “errand boy,” adding, “I don’t mean it in a racist way.” The clip spread fast. Jebreal later issued an unconditional apology, calling her language “inappropriate and offensive.” The Congressional Black Caucus said there is no non-racist way to call a Black leader a “monkey” or “errand boy.” That stance set the tone for Democrats’ response.

Representative Pete Aguilar, the number three House Democrat, called the language “blatantly racist and dangerous.” The core argument from party leaders was simple. You can fight over policy and money in politics, but you cannot reach for a slur with a long, ugly history against Black Americans and then claim it is not racist. That position aligns with basic norms most Americans share: argue hard, but do not strip people of dignity with racial taunts.

Why Jebreal targeted Jeffries over Israel policy

Jeffries has set a clear line on Israel and Hamas. He condemned the October 7 terror attack, said America stands firmly with Israel, and argued Congress must back Israel until Hamas is crushed. He also warned about rising antisemitism during the war. Those positions put him in step with many in his caucus on core support for Israel, and that is the context Jebreal claimed to attack—money and influence around Israel policy—not Jeffries’ race.

Jeffries repeated those views across several statements in 2023 and 2024. He framed the conflict as a fight against a terrorist group that slaughtered civilians and kidnapped hostages. He tied firm support for Israel to American values and security. That clarity helped define him in the public square as a pro-Israel Democrat at a time when his party’s base is split on the war and on the role of pro-Israel donors. That split is real, but it does not excuse racial slurs.

The real lesson: debate policy without racial shortcuts

Fights over the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have grown fierce. Critics say the group’s money shapes primaries and narrows debate. Supporters say it channels a mainstream, pro-Israel view held by millions. That policy argument is fair game. Turning a Black leader into an animalized prop is not. The slur moved the story from policy to pain, and it let everyone stop debating ideas and start scoring outrage points.

🐍✨ 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙢 𝙅𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣 “𝘼𝙄𝙋𝘼𝘾 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙮.”

Oh—then she rushed to say she did not mean it in a racist way.

Rula Jebreal, on Wajahat Ali’s podcast, went after the House Democratic leader for Israel.

“His name is Hakeem. It means… pic.twitter.com/t29IgN1HUK

— Tosca Austen (@ToscaAusten) September 5, 2026

Here is the common-sense test that fits American conservative values and basic decency. If your point is about donors, say “donors.” If your point is about votes, say “votes.” If your point is about Israel policy, make the policy case. You do not need a racial insult to win an argument. When you use one, you just told the audience you had nothing better. Jebreal apologized, which was right. The next right step is to keep the fight where it belongs—on facts, tradeoffs, and results.