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Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Israel a “racist state” on Saturday while addressing pro-Palestine protesters who interrupted a panel discussion at the Netroots Nation conference in Chicago.
“As somebody who’s been in the streets and participated in a lot of demonstrations, I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us, that it does not even feel possible,” the Washington state Democrat said, while protesters chanted, “Free Palestine.”
House progressives have been vocal about their opposition to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the US sponsorship of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, with several lawmakers saying they will skip Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint meeting of Congress later this week, citing concerns about human rights.
On Saturday, Jayapal rose to address the pro-Palestine protesters after they had been yelling “Israel is a racist state” during remarks from Rep. Jan Schakowsky, interrupting a panel discussion Jayapal was participating in with Schakowsky and Rep.
