Rep. Jim Moran, Democrat from Virginia, received a sharply-worded rebuke from 16 of his Jewish colleagues yesterday for laying the blame for the Iraq War at the feet of Aipac.

“The idea that the war in Iraq began because of the influence of Jewish Americans is factually incorrect and unfortunately fits the anti-Semitic stereotypes some have used historically against Jews,” wrote the Jewish pols.

Moran has come under fire for remarks in the latest issue of Tikkun magazine, in which he said that Aipac “pushed the war from the beginning.” The controversy is a milder redux of one in 2003, when Moran said that the U.S. wouldn’t be in Iraq “if it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community,” and was booted from a leadership position by Nancy Pelosi.

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Given Moran’s history of loose-canon remarks, it isn’t too surprising that he hasn’t backed down (“I regret any efforts to misconstrue my position and longstanding support for Israel,” he told the Politico).

What is perhaps surprising is that there are a bunch of Jewish reps who aren’t on the letter.

For the signatories, see the jump:

Henry Waxman
Rahm Emanuel
Shelley Berkeley
Gary Ackerman
Barney Frank
Nita Lowey
Jan Schakowsky Sander Levin Howard Berman Eliot Engel Allyson Schwartz Ron Klein Jerry Nadler Tom Lantos Jane Harman Adam Schiff

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