In a fiery press conference, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called out the Democratic Party for their “absolutely unacceptable” antisemitic remarks that he says “have got to stop.” McCarthy specifically targeted Progressive U.S. Democrat Pramila Jayapal for her recent claim that Israel is a “racist” country. He argued that Jayapal’s comments are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of antisemitism within the Democratic Party. McCarthy called on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to take action and prove that his party does not align with these antisemitic views. He criticized the Democrats for defending individuals who make these remarks and only taking action when forced to.
Speaker McCarthy Slams Democrats’ ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’ Antisemitic Remarks: ‘It Has Got to Stop’ via @BreitbartNews https://t.co/cdXIir4QW1
— Chris 🇺🇸 (@Chris_1791) July 18, 2023
McCarthy highlighted other instances of “antisemitic” statements from Democratic officials. He pointed out Representative Ilhan Omar’s equating of the U.S. Military and Israel’s security forces with Hamas and the Taliban, as well as her suggestion that support for Israel is driven by money. He also called out Representative Rashida Tlaib for saying that she had a “calming feeling” when discussing the Holocaust. McCarthy further condemned Representative Betty McCollum for introducing a resolution condemning Israel and supporting Palestinian terrorist organizations. He argued that these repeated instances of antisemitic comments by Democrats need to be addressed and stopped.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/NCMiJ4dldd
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) July 16, 2023
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) July 16, 2023
Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal attempts to appease so-called "Free Palestine" protesters after they hijacked a leftist conference: "We have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state!" pic.twitter.com/9p2aX6uh4F
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 15, 2023
.@SpeakerMcCarthy on Rep. Jayapal’s calling Israel a 'racist state': "This isn't the first person in the Democratic conference that has continued to make anti-Semitic comments…they've defended these individuals time and again…this is a role for the Leader, Hakeem…" pic.twitter.com/M0blsNLx8Q
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 17, 2023
Regarding the recent invitation extended to Israel’s president, McCarthy emphasized the importance of getting the history right. He clarified that the invitation was based on the 75th anniversary of the creation of Israel and not related to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. McCarthy expressed his willingness to invite Netanyahu to America if President Biden were to snub him. He concluded his remarks by tweeting about the long history of antisemitic comments by House Democrats, stating that “antisemitism has no place in the United States Congress.”
These comments from McCarthy come in response to Representative Jayapal’s remarks calling Israel a “racist state” during the annual progressive Netroots Nation conference. Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, later released a statement claiming that she was trying to defuse a tense situation. House Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, clarified that Israel is not a racist state after facing backlash. McCarthy’s criticism of the Democrats’ antisemitic remarks aligns with conservative perspectives that accuse Democratic lawmakers of harboring hatred towards Israel.
As a conservative republican news writer, it is clear that McCarthy is highlighting an issue that concerns many on the right. The repeated instances of antisemitic comments coming from Democratic officials are detrimental to the party’s image and credibility. It also raises questions about the Democrats’ stance towards Israel and their commitment to fighting antisemitism. McCarthy’s call for action and condemnation of the Democrats’ defense of these individuals reflects the conservative perspective that the party should take a stronger stance against antisemitism.