Journalist Rula Jebreal issued an unconditional apology after making a controversial comment about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. She called him an ‘AIPAC monkey’ during an interview, a remark widely criticized as racist by the Congressional Black Caucus and other Democratic lawmakers.
Jebreal made the comment on Wajahat Ali’s podcast, ‘The Left Hook.’ She accused Jeffries of advancing the agenda of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and criticized his support for Israel. Jebreal remarked, ‘His name is Hakeem. ‘Hakeem’ is an Arabic name meaning ‘healer.’ He’s not a healer, he’s a divider.’
The term used is deeply offensive regardless of the context. Any reference of this nature towards a Black individual is viewed as racist.
Following her statement, host Ali sought to clarify the remarks. He noted the racial undertones of the word ‘monkey’ when applied to a Black person. Jebreal responded, saying she had not intended her comment to be racist and referenced a metaphor involving ‘three monkeys’ who neither see, hear, nor speak.
This explanation was rejected by the Congressional Black Caucus. They stated unequivocally that no non-racist way exists to use such terms toward a Black man. Other Democratic leaders shared similar views, with Rep. Joe Neguse expressing that such rhetoric must be condemned by all political sides.
Rep. Ritchie Torres emphasized that using racist terminology is unacceptable, drawing attention to the silence from some who might criticize if similar comments came from political opponents.
After the podcast clip gained attention online, Jebreal apologized on the platform X, stating her regret over using an offensive term.
Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations, commented on Jebreal’s apology, noting it initially reasserts the accusation before apologizing. He characterized it as a closing argument with ‘sorry’ appended.
Fox News reached out for comments from Jebreal and Jeffries, but they have not responded. Julia Bonavita covers media and culture for Fox News Digital.