Seattle Congressional Representative Jayapal was quoted in the Times:
“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.
My response: Aren’t “Jews” and “Palestinians” both brothers-of-another-mother, trying to occupy the same corner of the planet for the last three millennia? I doubt anyone alive today will see a solution, two-state or otherwise, to this age-old dilemma. That said, Jayapal all people should know the risk of painting anyone with the tainted brush of a charged word like rascist. Gasoline on the fire. Congressional representatives should always remember their words will be viewed as representing those who voted for them. What say you, fellow Seattle Democrats?