Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over their views on Israel Thursday, calling their positions "wrong" and saying they did not reflect congressional Democrats.
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they → criticize → Democrats
The two progressive Democrats were mentioned by "On Brand" podcast host Donny Deutsch, who asked Pelosi how he, as a Jewish man, could reconcile his support for the Democratic Party with politicians whose statements he considered antisemitic.
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he → mention → politicians
"When you say Israel doesn't have the right to be a Jewish state, that's antisemitic as far as I'm concerned with all that," Deutsch said.
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Deutsch → say → that
When Pelosi asked for examples, Deutsch named Mamdani and El-Sayed, calling their comments "concerning."
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Deutsch → ask → comments
"No, it's more than concerning," Pelosi responded.
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Pelosi → respond → ?
This new person in Michigan, we'll see if he gets elected to the Congress.
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he → see → Congress
But the mayor, bless his heart, I hope he succeeds as mayor, but I don't agree with some of the things he has said.
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he → bless → things
But in terms of our people in the House of Representatives, if somebody says that, the other members disassociate themselves from it."
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members → say → it
Before he was elected New York City mayor, Mamdani repeatedly dodged questions when asked if Israel should be a Jewish state.
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Israel → elect → questions
In a June 28 interview with ABC News, however, Mamdani said he supported Israel as a state with equal rights but declined to endorse it as a Jewish state.
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he → say → state
"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," Mamdani said.
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Mamdani → think → you
El-Sayed has repeatedly declined to affirm whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state.
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Israel → decline → state
In a May appearance with Jewish supporters, the candidate said he "struggled" to answer this question and suggested the idea of a Jewish state wasn't consistent with the liberal values "we say we believe in here in the United States."
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we → say → States
Earlier in the interview with Deutsch, Pelosi initially denied that anyone in the Democratic Party was antisemitic.
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anyone → deny → Party
"The fact is that I really do not know of anybody there on our side who is engaged in antisemitism.
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who → know → antisemitism
That may be what it appears to be or what they're charged to be.
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they → appear → what
If there are, I think sometimes they say things that they shouldn't and can be interpreted that way," Pelosi said.
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Pelosi → be → things
Despite her concerns about Mamdani and El-Sayed's comments, she dismissed their impact on the party as a whole.
"People represent their districts, and we have to respect that.
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we → represent → that
The job description, job title is representative, but 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," Pelosi said.
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Pelosi → mean → that
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Pelosi, Mamdani and El-Sayed for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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Digital → reach → response
Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, acknowledged Pelosi "as one of the Jewish community's best friends among House Democrats" but said it was alarming that she did not seem to recognize antisemitism among her colleagues.
"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.
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she → acknowledge → problem
is indeed one of our best friends, should we not be scared by that?" Menken told Fox News Digital.
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Menken → scar → Digital
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