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Palestinian-American journalist Rula Jebreal is facing accusations of racism after referring to US Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House Minority Leader, as an 'AIPAC monkey' in a social media post criticizing his ties to pro-Israel lobbying groups. Jebreal has defended the remark, saying it referenced Japan's three wise monkeys idiom rather than a racial slur. Black lawmakers and commentators have rejected that explanation, denouncing the language as evoking a long history of dehumanizing rhetoric used against Black people. The episode has become the latest flashpoint in heated US debates over criticism of Israel, its lobby, and race, amid broader polarization over the Gaza war's influence on American politics.