Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.

Republican Chairman booed at American Jewish Committee event.

The chairman of the Republican Party was booed at an American Jewish Committee event over comments on Iraq. Ken Mehlman, who is Jewish, said Iraq posed less of a challenge now than under Saddam Hussein. 

Mehlman was otherwise politely received when he spoke Tuesday at the American Jewish Committee's 100th anniversary celebrations in Washington, and he got warm applause when he said the Bush administration would not tolerate an Iranian nuclear bomb and always would stand by Israel. 

The room burst into applause, however, when American Jewish Committee board member Edith Everett asked Mehlman to "take a message" to President Bush to stop linking Israel and Iran. 

"It does not help Israel and it does not help American Jews to appear to be stimulators of any action against Iran," Everett said. 

She added that "it's easy to understand why Iran is not worried about us" because Iraq is consuming so many U.S. resources. 

Mehlman replied by acknowledging that Iraq was a "challenge," but claimed it's "less of a challenge than when Saddam Hussein was in power." 

The room filled with boos and hisses..

Reprinted courtesy of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.