Pelosi Criticizes Democrats' Stance on Israel as 'Wrong'

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has publicly criticized the past comments on Israel made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, describing their positions as "wrong" and not reflective of the Democratic Party.

Pelosi made these remarks during an appearance on the "On Brand" podcast, in response to host Donny Deutsch's question about how a Jewish supporter could reconcile their views with politicians making statements Deutsch considered antisemitic. Deutsch specifically cited the idea that Israel does not have the right to exist as a Jewish state as antisemitic.

When asked for examples, Deutsch mentioned Mamdani and El-Sayed. Pelosi responded, "No, it's more than concerning. It's wrong. It's wrong. And it isn't a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States." She added that while individual members represent their districts, "that doesn't mean it has an impact on the consensus of the Democratic Party and [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries has been very clear on that."

Before his election as New York City mayor, Mamdani repeatedly avoided directly answering whether Israel should be a Jewish state. In a June interview, he stated his support for Israel as a state with equal rights but declined to endorse it as a Jewish state, saying, "I think any state that privileges one religion over the other is one that I can’t tell you I support, whether it be Israel or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else."

El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny for his responses regarding Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. In a May appearance, the candidate reportedly said he "struggled" to answer the question and suggested the concept was inconsistent with liberal values.

Initially, Pelosi denied that antisemitism was a significant issue within the Democratic Party, stating, "The fact is that I really do not know of anybody there on our side who is engaged in antisemitism." She qualified this by saying that if individuals made statements that could be interpreted as antisemitic, they may have said things they shouldn't have.

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, expressed concern that Pelosi did not seem to recognize the extent of the issue among her colleagues. Menken stated, "Pelosi claims she wants for those voices to be marginalized within her party, yet she demonstrates that she has turned a deaf ear, both to antisemitic expression from her colleagues, and to the rabbis anxious to set her straight on the magnitude of the problem."