White House says it will be clear on denouncing antisemitism
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the president will speak out against antisemitism.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., called out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over her "weak answer" to a rise in antisemitism in the United States amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On Monday, Jean-Pierre said she had not seen any "credible threats" when asked about the Biden administration's "level of concern" regarding potential attacks on Jewish Americans.
"Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab-American and Palestinian-American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities," she added.
Moskowitz would later criticize her comments on X.
"What a weak answer," he said. "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."
After backlash, Jean-Pierre would later clarify her comments made during the White House press briefing.
"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 wrote.
In a statement to Fox News Digital via email on Tuesday, Jean-Pierre said, "I appreciate the chance to address this. Yes, I did mishear the question. As I have footstomped many times from the podium and on the air, antisemitism is an abomination that this President has fought against his entire life; and I feel strongly about that work."
"That’s why, in the briefing room, I have blasted the repulsive increase in antisemitic rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and hate crimes in our nation, calling out that, tragically, this is a rising threat," Jean-Pierre continued "And it’s a threat the President is taking concrete action every day to fight."
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has been tracking instances of antisemitism in the U.S. since 1979, reported over 100 antisemitic incidents in the United States since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.
Hate crimes data released on October 16 by the FBI shows that reported hate crime incidents in 2022 rose to 11,634, the highest number ever recorded since the FBI started tracking such data in 1991. The country's reported single-bias anti-Jewish hate crime incidents sharply rose by more than 37%, reaching 1,122 incidents, the highest number recorded in almost three decades and the second-highest number on record.
Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested there could be an increase in domestic threat reports as a result of the ongoing conflict in Israel.
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Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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