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Karine Jean-Pierre slammed for saying AIPAC conference 'severely racist', despite Dem prez attendance

Jean-Pierre will be replacing Jen Psaki, who is reportedly moving on to work for MSNBC after her last day on the White House job, May 13

Karine Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden's new press secretary, is being criticized for an incendiary 2019 op-ed in which she called a pro-Israel conference -- previously attended by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- "severely racist."

Jean Pierre, 44, who became the first Black LGBTQ+ person to hold the prestigious position, has already been blasted for her relationship with CNN journalist Suzanne Malveaux, 55, with many raising "conflict of interest" concerns. The couple shares a seven-year-old daughter, Soleil. That said, Jean-Pierre will be replacing left-wing firebrand Jen Psaki, who is reportedly moving on to work for MSNBC after her last day on the White House job, May 13.

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Jean-Pierre branded the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention as "racist" and declared it wasn't "progressive" in a scathing 2019 opinion piece for Newsweek. "Unfortunately, AIPAC's policy and conference speaker choices aren't its only problems. Its severely racist, Islamophobic rhetoric has proven just as alarming," she wrote at the time. "The organization has become known for trafficking in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric while lifting up Islamophobic voices and attitudes. When it comes down to it, AIPAC's policies are not progressive policies. AIPAC's values are not progressive values. It's time to call a spade a spade." 

The newly hired press secretary claimed Democrats can't call themselves "progressive while continuing to associate yourself with an organization like AIPAC" because the organization had been the "antithesis" of that. According to the New York Post, she wrote the op-ed while working as the Senior Advisor and National Spokesperson for MoveOn, while also working as a lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. 

Jean-Pierre also took aim at the Trump administration for attempting to dismantle the Iran Nuclear Deal signed by former President Barack Obama, while showering praise on Democratic nominees for not attending the 2019 conference. "And I for one am glad that a number of candidates running on my party's ticket feel the same. Because ultimately, this wasn't about skipping the AIPAC annual conference," she continued. "It was about boldly choosing to prioritize diplomacy and human rights over the power of a lobbying organization. And this is exactly the type of attitude we need heading into 2020."

Furthermore, she also ridiculed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was invited to speak at that year's conference. "Netanyahu not only has personal charges levied against him = he's been indicted on both bribery and fraud charges - but under his leadership of Israel, according to the United Nations, Israel may have committed war crimes in its attacks on Gazan protesters," she wrote at the time. Netanyahu has since called the war crimes allegation "outrageous."

Jean-Pierre was excoriated on social media after the 2019 op-ed resurfaced.

"Anti-Israel past of Karine Jean-Pierre: She was once the senior adviser & national spokeswoman for MoveOn.org, a far-left anti-Israel group that advocates for boycotts of the Jewish state. She is now press secretary for Biden," real estate investor Adam Milstein tweeted.

"Amidst all the celebration of Biden’s new press secretary checking multiple boxes in identity politics, the mainstream media forgot to mention that she hates Israel," former US ambassador to Israel David M Friedman chimed in. 

Responding to a tweet noting how Jean-Pierre would be the first black lesbian to become White House press secretary, human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky wrote, "Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre @KJP46) will also be the first such openly hostile Press Secretary against Israel, who has accused the Jewish state of war crimes and supported boycotts."

"Karine Jean-Pierre also criticized Hoyer for "bash[ing]" Ilhan Omar and other squadniks over Israel," author Seth Mandel offered. "You definitely want someone who sides with Ilhan Omar speaking for the president, right? Good work everyone," he added in sarcasm.

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