Rula Jebreal Issues Unconditional Apology After Racist Remarks

Anti-Israel journalist Rula Jebreal issued an apology after making racist remarks about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., during an interview. She referred to Jeffries as an ‘AIPAC monkey,’ a phrase that sparked condemnation from the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and several Democratic lawmakers.

The comments were made on Wajahat Ali’s “The Left Hook” podcast. Jebreal criticized Jeffries, who is Black, for supporting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and labeled him a ‘divider’ rather than a ‘healer,’ referencing the meaning of his name ‘Hakeem’ in Arabic.

He is a bought and paid by AIPAC monkey,” she added. “With all due respect—and I don’t mean it in a racist way,” Jebreal said. She further described Jeffries as ‘an errand boy.’

Evidence of racial connotations in Jebreal’s comments was pointed out by podcast host Ali, who sought to correct the interpretation.

Using monkey to anyone Black, it has terrible racial connotations,” Ali noted. Jebreal acknowledged, I didn’t mean any racial animosity.

The CBC dismissed Jebreal’s explanation, stating there’s no non-racist way to address Jeffries in such terms. “We have to stop platforming and trafficking in anti-Black racism, whether it’s on the political right or the left,” read the CBC’s statement.

Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Joe Neguse and Rep. Ritchie Torres, critiqued the language used by Jebreal on social media, calling it ‘blatantly racist and offensive.’

After her comments gained traction online, Jebreal took to X to express her apology. I apologize unconditionally,” she wrote while reasserting her criticism of Jeffries’s financial ties to AIPAC.

Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations, critiqued Jebreal’s apology approach, suggesting it was more of a strategic argument than a genuine confession.

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