The White House would not outright condemn Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., by name Tuesday after the progressive lawmaker received backlash for accusing Israel of being a "racist state." White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went back and forth on Jayapal's comment with Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich during Tuesday's press briefing. Heinrich pressed the White House on whether President Biden planned to address the issue in his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog or call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but Jean-Pierre gave a foggy answer. "I mean, the president has...

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre became frustrated when Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich pressed her on Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-WA) recent comments about Israel. Jayapal received bipartisan condemnation after the Congressional Progressive Caucus chairwoman deemed Israel a “racist state” at a recent conference. At a press briefing the day Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with President Joe Biden at the White House, Heinrich asked if Jayapal’s comments came up between the two.

“Our inability to actually be honest about this conversation prevents us from being an ally to advancing human rights and being a good ally as well,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said. She and other Squad members, having learned during the Trump era that U.S.-Israel policy is a political minefield, largely avoided internal blowback with her low-key decision to skip Herzog’s speech. “There’s always this reaction, to call any leveled critique of Israel — to mischaracterize it as racist or antisemitic,” she added. Despite the broad support for the GOP resolution,...

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota defended one of her colleagues for calling Israel ‘racist’ in a Tuesday tweet. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington apologized Sunday for calling the Jewish state racist after protesters showed up during a conference over the weekend, calling for Palestinians to be free from Israel.

More than 40 House Democrats released a statement Monday night distancing themselves from fellow Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal after she called Israel a "racist state" over the weekend. Jayapal, D-Wash., has since walked back the comments, but members from both sides of the proverbial aisle have criticized them. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ, began circulating the letter Monday morning, which underscored the historic relationship between the United States and Israel. He garnered signatures from 42 other members before it was released to the public.

An internal fight among House Democrats has reportedly erupted ahead of a Capitol Hill speech by Israel's President Isaac Herzog — drawing a line between critics of Israel's human rights record, and Jewish lawmakers and Democrat leaders eager to prevent diplomatic tensions. Herzog's scheduled Wednesday appearance at a joint meeting of Congress has triggered an outcry from progressives, many of whom say they won't show up in protest of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and judiciary reforms pushed by the conservative administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Hill reported.

The House will vote Tuesday on a resolution that rejects all forms of antisemitism and says Israel is “not a racist or apartheid state,” as Democrats squirm over Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s criticism of Israel on the cusp of a Washington visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the chamber will consider the measure from Rep. August Plfuger, Texas Republican, under a suspension of the rules, a fast-track maneuver that requires approval from two-thirds of lawmakers for passage. Many lawmakers will find it easy to vote...

With assists from Sarah Ferris, Olivia Beavers, Nicholas Wu and Jennifer Scholtes If House Democrats thought they could avoid a messy battle over the Israeli government ahead of its president’s Wednesday address to Congress, they were wrong. Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to bring a measure to the floor on Tuesday that would affirm support for Israel — essentially rebuking recent comments from Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who drew sharp backlash from within her own party after calling Israel a “racist state” over the weekend.The tricky dynamics: Set...

Democratic leaders are rushing to combat accusations of anti-Semitism after a slew of anti-Israel comments from members of the party raised the stakes on a planned Democratic boycott of Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress. At least four members of the Democratic Party’s progressive "Squad" announced they would boycott Herzog’s address to Congress this Wednesday. The group includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.), Cori Bush (D., Mo.), and Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.). Omar and fellow progressive Rep.

Monday’s CNN This Morning featured several segments where the anchors, Phil Mattingly and Abby Phillip, had in-depth discussions on Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA and the blowback to her recent condemnation of Israel as a “racist state.” Along with several guests, both anchors expressed their annoyance that Jayapal had perpetuated a long-standing “internal battle that Democrats have had” regarding a stance towards Israel and its government.