U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal walked back her statement that Israel is a "racist state" after backlash from fellow representatives on Sunday.
Jayapal, a Democrat who represents Washington's 7th congressional district and is chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, made the comment during a panel at the Netroots Nation conference after it was interrupted by pro-Palestine demonstrators.
"I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us, that it does not even feel possible," Jayapal said to protesters.
The comment was met with backlash from other representatives and some members of the public. Jayapal released a statement to "clarify" the comment, but did not apologize outright.
"I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist," she wrote. "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.
Seven Democratic representatives — all of whom are Jewish — began circulating a letter denouncing her comments, according to news website Axios.
"Regardless of extremist 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," said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Axios.
The letter said representatives are "deeply concerned" about Jayapal's comments and that they undermine national security and are antisemitic.
"We will never allow anti-Zionist voices that embolden antisemitism to hijack the Democratic Party and country," the letter said.
Other Democratic House leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu also condemned Jayapal's comments in a news release.
"On a very human level, I was also responding to the deep pain and hopelessness that exists for Palestinians and their diaspora communities when it comes to this debate, but I in no way intended to deny the deep pain and hurt of Israelis and their Jewish diaspora community that still reels from the trauma of pogroms and persecution, the Holocaust, and continuing anti-semitism and hate violence that is rampant today," Jayapal said in her statement on Sunday.
