Palestinian journalist sparks controversy after referring to Hakeem Jeffries as 'AIPAC monkey'

Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal faced criticism for referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as an "AIPAC monkey" during a podcast on Friday, while discussing his support for Israel. Jebreal stated, "He is a bought-and-paid-for AIPAC monkey," clarifying that she did not intend it in a racist way but was referencing the "three monkeys" image. The Congressional Black Caucus rejected her explanation, asserting, "To be clear, there isn't a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries–a Black man–a 'monkey' or 'errand boy'." Following the backlash, Jebreal issued an unconditional apology on X, acknowledging that the term she used was "inappropriate and offensive and should never have been used."