Photo credit: AP
During a recent town hall event, Michigan Representative Tim Walberg publicly stated,
“We shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid [to Gaza]. It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick.”
He is not the first U.S. politician to publicly make anti-Palestinian statements supporting the genocide in Gaza. Over the last six months, several lawmakers have reportedly made statements that support Israel’s horrific military campaign and blatantly call for the murder of Palestinian civilians in Gaza without facing any consequences.
In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Max Miller said,
“They [Palestine] are a territory that’s about to probably get eviscerated and go away here shortly, as we’re going to turn that into a parking lot.”
During a speech on the House floor, Rep. Brian Mast stated,
“There is not this far stretch to say there are very few innocent Palestinian civilians,”
and compared Palestinian civilians to Nazi civilians during World War II.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham wrote,
“We are in a religious war here. I am with Israel. Do whatever the hell you have to do to defend yourselves. Level the place.”
Rep. Any Ogles was recorded in a video stating
“I think we should kill them all if that makes you feel better. Hamas and the Palestinians have been attacking Israel for 20 years. It’s time to pay the piper,”
in response to comments about American tax dollars being used to bomb children in Gaza. The video was recorded by activists who were calling for a ceasefire at Congress.
in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter Rep. Chuck Fleischmann was hear saying,
“Let me make it clear, Israel is our ally, and they are not guilty of genocide, and I will support Israel forever. I will never support you, I will tell you to your face: Goodbye to Palestine.”
Rep. Michelle Salzman replied to a speech by Rep. Angie Nixon calling for a ceasefire with,
“All of them [need to be killed],”
in response to her colleague asking “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?”
In October 2023, President Joe Biden was asked whether the death count of Palestinians in Gaza, then 6,500, meant Israel was ignoring U.S. appeals to reduce civilian deaths. Biden responded,
“I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war…I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.”
At the same time, many U.S. lawmakers have received backlash for supporting Gaza, including the only Palestinian-American lawmaker, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was censured for criticizing the U.S.’ unconditional support of Israel and condemning the murder of Palestinians in Gaza.
CAIR-LA is tirelessly fighting for the rights and dignity of Palestinians by:
- Advocating for a permanent ceasefire and end to the U.S. military aid to Israel.
- Combating negative portrayals of Palestinians in the media.
- Holding politicians accountable for spreading anti-Palestinian rhetoric and for supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
- Providing free legal counsel to those targeted by the increase in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate.
- Launching the Muslim Community Action Network (MCAN) to build our community’s political power.
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