Embattled Women’s March co-leader refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist during contentious PBS interview

Tamika Mallory, controversial co-president of the Women's March and associate of Louis Farrakhan — leader of the Nation of Islam — refused during a recent PBS interview to acknowledge Israel's right to exist.

Uh-oh. What did she say?

During a sit-down on PBS's "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover," host Margaret Hoover asked Mallory whether she believed that the Jewish people were native to their land.

"Do you feel that Jewish people are native as well [in addition to the Palestinian people]?" Hoover asked.

Mallory responded, "I'm not Jewish, so for me to speak to that is not fair."

Hoover interrupted, "If you're willing to say that the Palestinians are native, but not the Jews are native — I mean, you're not Palestinian, either."

"Because I'm speaking of the people who we know are being brutally oppressed at this moment," Mallory snapped. "That's just the reality."

Hoover went on to ask Mallory if she believed Israel has a right to exist as a nation — and Mallory responded in a rather vague manner.

"I feel everyone has a right to exist. ... I just don't feel that everyone has a right to exist at the disposal of another group," Mallory answered. "I believe that all people have the right to exist, and that Palestinians are also suffering with a great crisis. And that there are other Jewish scholars who will still sit here and say the same."

"I'm done talking about this," she concluded. "You can move on."

Before moving on, Hoover added, "I just don't think it requires scholarly knowledge to be able to say that Israel has a right to exist."

Anything else?

Mallory found herself under heavy fire after a Monday appearance on "The View," in which she defended her support and praise of Farrakhan, once referring to him as "the greatest of all time."

During the interview, also Mallory refused to denounce Farrakhan.

"I didn't call him the greatest of all time because of his rhetoric. I called him the greatest of all time because of what he's done in black communities," Mallory said during her appearance on the CBS show.

After Mallory made the remarks, the Democratic National Committee pulled their sponsorship for the annual Women's March, which is set to take place Saturday.

The Women's March has been under scrutiny for allegations of anti-Semitism, sexism, and more.

On Tuesday, the Daily Beast reported that more than half of the march's 2018 supporters did not return to support the march for its 2019 run.