White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced questions regarding Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s comments on “balance” in condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence against Israeli women.
Jean-Pierre, while condemning the use of rape as a weapon of war, refrained from directly condemning Jayapal’s remarks, emphasizing that she can only speak for the president and reiterating the condemnation of Hamas’s actions.
She stated, “We think rape and the use of rape — being used as a weapon — that is also reprehensible, and that’s full stop, and I’ll just leave it there. That’s speaking for the president of the United States, and I think I’ve been very clear on that.”
When pressed about Jayapal’s comments, Jean-Pierre did not directly address them but reiterated her stance on condemning reprehensible actions. Several Democrats, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep.
Ritchie Torres criticized Jayapal for calling for “balance” in condemning Hamas’ sexual violence against Israeli women. Wasserman Schultz called it “outrageous” to “both sides” sexual violence, emphasizing the need to condemn it loudly and forcefully without exceptions.
It’s worth noting that the White House did not explicitly condemn Jayapal’s comments but reiterated a strong stance against the reprehensible actions of Hamas. The issue revolves around the use of sexual violence by Hamas militants, and the response from the White House underscores the sensitivity and complexity of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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jean-pierre sounds a lot like Forrest Gump when he would end a sentence with, “That’s all I have to say about that.” Her’s is, “I think I’ve been very clear on that.”