Things got heated during a Democratic primary debate for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut on Thursday when one candidate told another that he was “whore” over his support of a pro-Israel lobbying group.

“I’m appalled that when I talk about the neoconservatives somehow it’s twisted to be some sort of a racist comment,” long-shot candidate Lee Whitnum said in response to U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy. “This is documented fact. The neoconservative role in the taking down of Iraq [with an] unnecessary war is fact. It’s not opinion.”

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“I’m dealing with whore here who sells his soul to AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee], who will say anything for the job,” Whitnum explained, pointing towards Murphy and then adding that state Rep. William Tong was “ignorant” for defending him.

“What I would like to propose is a prosecution of settlers here, American settlers, who go to Israel and maim or kill in the Promised Land. Since 2000, 66,000 of the indigenous culture have been killed, many of them by American settlers. This is viewed all over the Middle East and we are hated for this worldwide.”

Murphy responded calmly during his closing remarks: “I’d advocated for all of the candidates to be a part of these debates. I might think twice about those with that kind of awful language being used on the airwaves.”

Watch the video below from NBC Connecticut, broadcast April 5, 2012.

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View more videos at: http://nbcconnecticut.com.

(H/T: Mediaite)