Wajahat Ali
- Role
- Host of The Left Hook
- Statement date
"Using monkey to anyone Black, it has terrible racial connotations. But I think you caught yourself and said you didn't mean it with any racial animosity."
Source and context
Original video
When Will America Finally Quit Israel & AIPAC? | Rula Jebreal (opens in a new tab)Segment discussing Hakeem Jeffries; cross-check the complete exchange against the embedded excerpt in the Fox News report.
About this source
Full episode of The Left Hook containing Jebreal's remarks about Jeffries and Ali's subsequent on-air response.
Reporting
Democratic lawmakers respond after Rula Jebreal's remarks about Hakeem Jeffries (opens in a new tab)Article paragraphs reporting the original exchange, CBC statement, Joe Neguse and Ritchie Torres responses, and Jebreal's apology.
About this source
Reports the disputed wording, the immediate exchange between Ali and Jebreal, and several later public responses with links to the original posts.
Before the quotation
Jebreal had called Jeffries a “bought and paid by AIPAC monkey” and then said she did not mean the term racially.
After the quotation
Jebreal explained that she meant the three wise monkeys and later issued an unconditional apology for using the term.
How this statement is classified
The response both challenges the language and gives weight to the speaker’s stated intent, so it is conditional rather than a categorical defense or condemnation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Rula Jebreal, Hakeem Jeffries
More from this case
"Sometimes even our friends can get it wrong. They can stumble over trying to make a point—maybe there's a cultural disconnection."Read statement
"The term that I used to describe him was inappropriate and offensive and should never have been used. I apologize unconditionally."Read statement
"Calling a Black man a “monkey” is racist. Full stop."Read statement