The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), a prominent pro-Israel group, is calling on Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to retract her recent comments calling White House chief strategist and former Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon a “white supremacist.”
“ZOA urges U.S. House Minority Leader Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to retract her defamatory, ugly and erroneous name calling of Senior Presidential Strategist Stephen Bannon,” the organization wrote in a press release.
“It is beneath the dignity of her office, and sets a very bad example for the nation, for her to engage in name-calling – especially when she hurls attacks that are baseless and untrue,” the press release said. “We are thus deeply disappointed that Congresswoman Pelosi repeatedly defamed presidential advisor and National Security Council member Stephen Bannon on February 2, 2017 by wrongly and falsely calling him a ‘white supremacist.'”
ZOA says the “absurdity” of Pelosi “labeling Mr. Bannon a ‘white supremacist'” is evidenced by the multiple pro-Israel stories published by Breitbart News while Mr. Bannon was the site’s chairman.
ZOA cites:
Breitbart lamented the higher unemployment rates suffered by black-Americans. (See, e.g., “Black Unemployment Rate Nearly Twice the National Average On Eve Of Selma Anniversary,” by Carolyn May, Breitbart, Mar. 6, 2015.) Breitbart interviewed and published a lengthy, highly favorable report on black-American surgeon Dr. Ben Carson’s ideas and presidential candidacy. (“Exclusive: Dr. Ben Carson: ‘The Ladders of Opportunity Are There’,” by Jerome Hudson, Breitbart, Sept. 7, 2015.) Breitbart also published an Obama official’s statements and expert testimony that “illegal immigration disproportionately impacts the wages and employment opportunities of African-Americans.” (“U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner to Congressional Black Caucus: Amnesty Hurts Black Workers,” by Tony Lee, Breitbart, May 20, 2014.) Breitbart also reported the human cost and pain to a Jewish student at the New School of finding a swastika scrawled on her dorm room door (“Swastikas Drawn on NYC New School Dorm Doors,” Breitbart Jerusalem, Nov. 14, 2016), and the scourge of increasing anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses, attributable to the anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement. (“Study: BDS Responsible for Spike in Anti-Semitism on U.S. Campuses,” Breitbart Jerusalem, Nov. 2, 2016.)
“Mr. Bannon also hired and worked closely with persons of every race and creed at Breitbart (gay, straight, white, black, Orthodox Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc., etc.), again confirming that he is definitively not a ‘white supremacist,'” the organization said.
The ZOA statement also highlights the hypocrisy of Pelosi, who “has often spoken about the importance of improving ‘civility’ in politics and political campaigns,” making these malicious claims against Bannon.
“We urge Congresswoman Pelosi to restore her promise of civility and to retract the slanderous name-calling against Mr. Bannon,” ZOA demands.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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