As Katie covered, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked on Tuesday about the disturbing accounts of people ripping down posters of Israelis being held hostage in Gaza. Just as she's struggled on this issue before, Jean-Pierre failed to come up with an adequate answer, and was forced to issue a clarifying post over her official X account. Now, even fellow Democrats are calling her out.
"A lot of videos of individuals who have been tearing down signs, many of these taking place in New York City, of Israelis presently being held hostage in Gaza," NBC's Peter Alexander pointed out on Tuesday. "There have been some tense confrontations that have taken place there. Is the White House’s view that these actions should be condemned, the pulling of the pulling down of them, or that that’s a form of peaceful protest?"
Just like she has done in the past, on issues from credible threats of anti-semitism, to anti-semitism on college campuses, Jean-Pierre wouldn't speak to the issue. She claimed she had only "sorta kinda seen the reporting" which has been widespread, and insisted "I’m just not going to go into specifics on that particular thing."
Karine Jean-Pierre plays dumb when asked to comment on people tearing down posters of hostages, including children, taken by Hamas in Israel:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 7, 2023
"I've sorta, kinda seen the reporting, here and there...I'm just not gonna go into specifics on that particular thing." pic.twitter.com/gXNEqMG4aZ
As a result of the Hamas terrorist attacks, communities and families are grieving. For the past month, the families of those who have been taken hostage have lived in agony. Tearing down pictures of their loved ones - who are being held hostage by Hamas - is wrong and hurtful.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) November 7, 2023
During Wednesday's episode of "Outnumbered," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), who is Jewish and has been speaking up in support Israel, even and including when that puts him at odds with fellow Democrats, was much more passionate and forthcoming about the issue.
"We saw this unfortunately, again, on the issue of anti-semitism," Moskowitz had to say about Jean-Pierre's response, in reference to how she's had less than satisfactory responses from the podium before. "I don't know why it can't happen at the podium and it has to continue happening on Twitter," Moskowitz told co-host Kayleigh McEnany, speaking about the platform currently known as X. "Obviously, that's concerning. But I'm happy for the fact that the press secretary has come out and condemned that behavior," he said.
Moskowitz had reposted Jean-Pierre's post from his own political X account. He also shared a clip of his appearance on the program from his official account.
On October 7, Hamas perpetrated a terrorist attack against Israel in which they murdered 1,400 Israelis, targeting men, women, and children. Not even babies or Holocaust survivors were spared. Hamas also raped, tortured, and kidnapped about 240 people. Americans were also among those killed and taken hostage.
"I'm meeting with families here in Washington, D.C., whose kids are missing, whose babies are missing, whose sisters are missing, husbands are missing. They're held hostage in Gaza, and--and look, you have a right to protest in this country, you have a right to free speech," Moskowitz shared. "But we also have a right to respond," he declared. "And call these people out! Something is clearly wrong right now, with the youth of America, that they think it's acceptable when someone has been kidnapped to try to erase that person," Moskowitz continued, the passion clearly evident in his voice.
As the congressman also shared to his official account, he had held a roundtable on Tuesday discussing with those whose family members have been held hostage.
Over 200 hostages are still estimated to be held by Hamas. I hosted a roundtable today with some of their families. The past month has been an unimaginable nightmare for them. Congress must do everything in its power to get these innocent people back to their loved ones. pic.twitter.com/q1pR4sAdHt
— Congressman Jared Moskowitz (@RepMoskowitz) November 7, 2023
While Moskowitz spoke to McEnany, footage was shown on the screen of people taking down posters. As Alexander had pointed out to Jean-Pierre on Tuesday, many acts have taken place in New York. The city has the largest population of Jews in the world.
"Like they can't look at them and they just must tear it down! And so this is a big problem right now for the Jewish community, we're seeing anti-semitism, record highs in the United States, people going to protests with signs that say 'kill the Jews,' 'gas the Jews,' 'cleanse the Jews,'" Moskowitz also shared, speaking more to the coverage that's been out that but that Jean-Pierre wouldn't speak to.
"Look, you can be for a ceasefire, you can criticize the Israeli government. But to be clear, when you're talking about removing Jews from the earth, that is hatred that we have not seen since the Holocaust, and we are never going back," Moskowitz also declared. "Jews are going to speak up, we are going to fight back. We have learned from history, and we're done being silent when we see this level of hatred."
This nationwide epidemic of people tearing down posters of hostages is despicable. Jews are done being silent as people fan the flames of hate and try to erase us. pic.twitter.com/ZkY2xiiGp2
— Congressman Jared Moskowitz (@RepMoskowitz) November 8, 2023
Jean-Pierre also began Wednesday's press briefing in part by saying what she likely ought to have said on Tuesday, at the time she was actually asked about people ripping down posters.
"We continue to see an alarming trend of antisemitic threats and attacks targeting Jewish communities across the country. Disturbing acts--like ripping down posters of Jewish--of Jewish held hostage--hostages by Hamas; vandalizing Jewish institutions; threatening to com--commit acts of violence against Jewish students, Jewish faith leaders, and Jewish communities--inflame tensions, stoke fear, and are completely--completely unacceptable," she offered.
Jean-Pierre went on to say that "the president strongly condemns these brazen acts of antisemitism and has repeatedly made clear: Targeting Jews because of their beliefs or their identity is unacceptable," but then went to promote yet again how the White House has prioritized fighting Islamophobia.
"Make no mistake, we will continue to speak out against hate of every--every dimension," Jean-Pierre continued. And that is why, just last week, you heard from--you heard from this administration: The President and Vice President announced that the administration will develop the first U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States."
Jean-Pierre, just as others in this administration have done, including President Joe Biden himself, then lumped in anti-semitism and Islamophobia together. "Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate have no place in America. And we strongly condemn anyone who seeks to harm Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American or any--or any other communities. And we will certainly continue to speak out," she said before moving on.
Again, this has been a bad habit for Jean-Pierre, both when it comes to not giving a proper response on anti-semitism at the time, and when she has tied in Islamophobia. She did the same last month with having to assure the White House press corps that the Biden administration does see threats of anti-semitism as a concern.
After refusing to condemn tearing down posters of hostages just one day prior, Karine Jean-Pierre says Biden has “repeatedly made clear” that such anti-Semitic acts are "unacceptable." pic.twitter.com/MPLbZQasYS
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 8, 2023
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