House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) referred to anti-Semitism as anti-American while speaking about accusations that supporters of Israel have dual loyalty during a speech at AIPAC's annual conference on Tuesday.
"In our democratic societies, we should welcome legitimate debate on how best to honor our values and to advance our priorities without questioning loyalty or patriotism," Pelosi said. "This month, the full House came together to condemn the anti-Semitic myth of dual loyalty and all forms of bigotry with a resolution that 'rejects the perpetuation of anti-Semitic stereotypes in the United States and around the world including the pernicious myth of dual loyalty and foreign allegiance especially in the context of support for the United States-Israel alliance.'"
"I simply declare to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-American. It has no place in our country," Pelosi continued.
Pelosi is not the first Democratic leader to address the dual loyalty stereotype at AIPAC. On Sunday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) slammed the suggestion that supporters of Israel have dual loyalty.
"When someone accuses American supporters of Israel of dual loyalty, I say: Accuse me," Hoyer said.
"I am part of a large, bipartisan coalition in Congress supporting Israel, an overwhelming majority in the Congress of the United States," Hoyer added.
Last month, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) said she wanted "to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country," and repeated the stereotype in tweets directed at fellow Democratic congresswoman Nita Lowey (N.Y.).
House Democratic leaders quickly put forward a resolution condemning various forms of hatred in the wake of her remarks, which the House overwhelmingly passed.
Omar has a history of anti-Semitic remarks, having apologized in early February for anti-Semitic tweets in which she alleged AIPAC pays politicians to be pro-Israel. She also acknowledged a tweet in which she accused Israel of hypnotizing the world and performing evil acts was "unfortunate."