Van Jones Called Out By Left For Comparing Traditional Palestinian Clothing to Confederate Flag on CNN
CNN senior political commentator Van Jones received backlash on Monday for comparing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarf to the Confederate flag.
Responding to a protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue – which was targeted by protesters for holding an event promoting the sale of real estate on occupied Palestinian land – Jones said:
The Jewish neighborhoods in LA are well know. Nobody is confused where they are. So if you show up there wearing a keffiyeh, you show up there with your face covered, you show up there chanting “River to the Sea,” that would be just like a White person running up with the Confederate flag in Harlem. You’re not trying to start a conversation, you’re trying to start a fight. Stop doing that. Don’t do that.
Jones’ remarks comparing the keffiyeh, a standard article of clothing for Palestinians, to the Confederate flag, a symbol commonly associated with racism, received backlash on social media, including from Zeteo editor-in-chief and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.
“Palestinian-American kids keep getting violently attacked – one of them was murdered – while mainstream media commentators say inciting/dehumanizing stuff like this,” reacted Hasan.
Palestinian-American kids keep getting violently attacked – one of them was murdered – while mainstream media commentators say inciting/dehumanizing stuff like this: https://t.co/fslNDAKWFl
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) June 25, 2024
Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali called Jones’ comments “an insane thing to say outloud,” while The Nation senior editor Jack Mirkinson tweeted, “A keffiyeh is not, in fact, the same as a confederate flag. you get to say the most outlandish nonsense as long as it’s about palestine.”
This is an insane thing to say outloud.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 25, 2024
a keffiyeh is not, in fact, the same as a confederate flag. you get to say the most outlandish nonsense as long as it’s about palestine https://t.co/bLP0FvZNJz
— Jack Mirkinson (@jackmirkinson) June 24, 2024
On MSNBC, Jonathan Greenblatt compares keffiyeh to a swastika.
On CNN, Van Jones compares keffiyeh to a confederate flag.
To the nation, Biden says no Jew is safe without Israel.
And that’s just the “liberals.”
In case you’re wondering why these attacks keep happening. pic.twitter.com/n1BZzowEaj
— Dan Sheehan (@danpjsheehan) June 24, 2024
When I tell you that Van Jones’ peers literally mourn what he has become. He represents the absolute worst of that generation, someone who devolved into a soul so politically unrecognizable and morally irresponsible that is almost a parody of a grifter https://t.co/x59Ar09eIy
— derecka (@dereckapurnell) June 24, 2024
Watch above via CNN.
