Pelosi Criticizes Progressive Democrats’ Views on Israel

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, expressed her discontent with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed regarding their opinions on Israel. She labeled their perspectives as “wrong” and stated they did not represent the sentiments of congressional Democrats.

This criticism came during a conversation on the “On Brand” podcast, where host Donny Deutsch, a Jewish man, asked Pelosi how he could align himself with the Democratic Party given that some politicians have made comments he perceives as antisemitic.

Deutsch remarked, “When you say Israel doesn’t have the right to be a Jewish state, that’s antisemitic as far as I’m concerned.”

Pelosi responded firmly, emphasizing that, “No, it’s more than concerning. It’s wrong. And it isn’t a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States.” She pointed out that while she hoped for Mamdani’s success as mayor, she didn’t agree with some of his statements. Regarding others in Congress, she noted, “If somebody says that, the other members disassociate themselves from it.”

Notably, even before taking office, Mamdani had been elusive about whether he believed Israel should be a Jewish state. He acknowledged support for Israel as a state providing equal rights but refrained from endorsing it as a Jewish state during a June 28 interview with ABC News. “I think any state that privileges one religion over the other is one that I can’t tell you I support,” he stated, referring to Israel and others like Saudi Arabia.

El-Sayed similarly hesitated to affirm Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. In a May discussion with Jewish supporters, he admitted struggling with this question, suggesting that the concept might conflict with the liberal principles espoused in the United States.

During the podcast, Pelosi initially claimed there were no antisemitic individuals in her party, asserting, “The fact is that I really do not know of anybody there on our side who is engaged in antisemitism.” She argued that while there may be some statements that could be interpreted that way, they were only a few instances.

Despite her concerns regarding Mamdani and El-Sayed, Pelosi downplayed their influence on the Democratic Party as a whole, stating, “People represent their districts, and we have to respect that.” She underscored that while individual comments may vary, they do not dictate the consensus within the party, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries being clear on this matter.

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, from the Coalition for Jewish Values, commented on Pelosi’s stance, acknowledging her strong ties to the Jewish community but expressing alarm over her apparent lack of recognition of antisemitism among her colleagues. He raised concerns about her claims to want to marginalize such voices within the party while seemingly ignoring the issue.