White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did damage control during Tuesday’s press briefing after receiving backlash for her remarks on antisemitism the previous day. In response to a question about President Joe Biden’s level of concern regarding the rise of antisemitism, Jean-Pierre had focused on “hate-fueled attacks” against Muslims.
However, during the Tuesday briefing, Jean-Pierre clarified that there is no place for antisemitism in America and that the administration is committed to combating it. She stated, “So when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism and that is unacceptable.” This strong stance may have been prompted by criticism of her response the day before.
The question that sparked this controversy was posed by CNN senior White House correspondent M.J. Lee, who asked about Biden’s concerns regarding the recent attack on Israel by terrorist organization Hamas. Jean-Pierre, in her initial response, spoke about the harassment faced by the Muslim community in recent weeks. She stated, “Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks, and certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab, Arab American and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities.”
Many have criticized the press secretary’s response, calling it tone-deaf and dismissive of the rise of antisemitism. Some have even accused Jean-Pierre of trying to equate the struggles of the Muslim community with the targeted attacks against Jews.
After her train wreck of a comment yesterday where she denied the existence of threats against Jewish people, Jean-Pierre opens the press briefing today by saying that anti-Semitism is bad. https://t.co/Kwx5pJXZqR pic.twitter.com/3vwS72m2ui
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 24, 2023
This incident has shed light on a pattern within the Biden administration of downplaying antisemitism and instead focusing on other issues. Just last week, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby shut down a suggestion of deporting foreigners who attended pro-Hamas protests, stating that there has been no credible evidence of such threats. This has caused outrage among supporters of Israel, who believe the administration is not taking a strong enough stance against the rise of antisemitism.
Jean-Pierre’s statement on Tuesday may have been an attempt to do damage control, but it does little to address the underlying issue of the administration’s lack of action against antisemitism. It also raises questions about the administration’s priorities and whether they truly understand the severity of the situation.
The press secretary’s insistence that she “misheard” the initial question does little to instill confidence in the administration’s ability to effectively address this issue. As constituent groups continue to speak out against the rise of antisemitism, it is crucial for the Biden administration to acknowledge and take concrete steps to combat it. As Jean-Pierre stated, there is no place for hate in America, and it is the responsibility of our leaders to ensure that remains true for all marginalized communities