Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on Sunday walked back comments in which she declared that Israel is a racist state, saying her comments were directed specifically towards the current government, Haaretz reported.
Jayapal's statement, which comes on the eve of President Isaac Herzog's visit to the US, comes after hours of widespread condemnation of her remarks from pro-Israel organizations and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
"I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist. I do, however, believe that Netanyahu's extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government," clarified Jayapal.
She claimed that her comments were made while attempting to defuse tension between protesters and fellow members of Congress on stage as a progressive activist panel and added she believes "it is incumbent on all of us who are striving to make our world a more just and equitable place to call out and condemn these policies and this current Netanyahu government's role in furthering them."
"I have always worked toward a two-state solution that allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live freely, safely and with self-determination alongside each other and that is still what I am absolutely committed to," said Jayapal, adding that current Israeli policies such as “settlement expansion” make it "extremely difficult" for Palestinian Arabs to believe in the possibility of a two-state solution.
Jayapal's statement came after several Jewish Democrats — including Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Greg Landsman, Brad Schneider, Dean Phillips, Jared Moskowitz and Kathy Manning — circulated a statement expressing "deep concern" over her remarks.
"Regardless of extremists views from groups aligned with either party, efforts to rewrite history and question the Jewish State's right to exist, or our historic bipartisan relationship, will never succeed in Congress," the statement reads, according to Haaretz, adding that "we will never allow anti-Zionist voices that embolden antisemitism to hijack the Democratic Party and country."
Jayapal has in the past come under fire for tweeting a remembrance for the victims of 9/11 with a death toll that included the terrorists.
Her comments on Israel and subsequent clarification come after several Democrats said they plan to boycott Herzog's address to a joint session of Congress later this week, including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Asked by CNN if she is attending Herzog’s speech, Jayapal replied, "I don't think I am. I haven't fully decided," before adding, "I think this is not a good time for that to happen."
