Democratic lawmaker slams White House press secretary for ‘weak answer’ on antisemitism

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) took aim at White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for providing a “weak answer” on antisemitism amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

When answering a question about the level of concern about the rise of antisemitism due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Jean-Pierre said that officials have “not seen any credible threats” before speaking about crimes targeting Muslims and Arab Americans.

“So a couple of things. Look, we have not seen any credible threats. I know there’s been always questions about credible threats. And so just want to make sure that that’s out there. But look, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks,” she responded.

She also emphasized that President Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security “to prioritize prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm the Jewish, the Muslim, Arab Americans or any other communities.”

Moskowitz criticized that response on social media Monday.

“What a weak answer. And why are you looking in the book? What’s the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans. Must do better,” Moskowitz wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in response to Jean-Pierre’s remarks on antisemitism.

Jean-Pierre further clarified her response to the question on X.

“To be clear: the President and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel,” she posted.

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned earlier this month that there could be an increase in domestic threat reports amid Israel’s war with Hamas, which launched a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Concerns are also growing over the spread of anti-Muslim violence in the wake of the ongoing war.

Attorney General Merrick Garland opened a hate crimes investigation into the killing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois that police say was motivated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has already left thousands of people in the region dead.

More than 5,000 Palestinians have died so far in the conflict in Gaza, including an estimated 2,055 children and 1,119 women, with more than 15,000 injured, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Monday.

In Israel, more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed so far, mostly in the initial attack launched by Hamas on Oct. 7, and hundreds more were kidnapped during the attack and remain hostages in the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. and other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.