This post contains excerpts of an article originally published by Truthout.
A House Republican has called for Gaza to be “nuked” akin to the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and said that “Palestinianism” is “evil” in genocidal remarks on Fox News following the shooting of two Israeli embassy workers on Wednesday.
When asked about the killing of the two embassy workers in Washington, D.C., Rep. Randy Fine (Florida) launched into a tirade, calling for unhindered violence against Palestinians and the movement for Palestinian rights.
“This is what globalizing the intifada looks like. Palestinianism is built on violence,” said Fine. “This is a culture built on violence and we need to start treating it that way.”
“We need to start to call evil for what it is, and not make excuses for it. And the fact of the matter is, the Palestinian cause is an evil one,” he went on.
When asked about the stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Fine said that the only solution is nuclear warfare — and yet more horrific civilian death.
“The only end of the conflict is complete and total surrender by those who support Muslim terror. In World War II, we did not negotiate a surrender with the Nazis, we did not negotiate a surrender with the Japanese,” said Fine, ignoring historical records showing that the U.S. did negotiate with the Axis Powers to try to end WWII.
“We nuked the Japanese twice in order to get unconditional surrender. That needs to be the same here,” the Republican went on. “There is something deeply, deeply wrong with this culture and it needs to be defeated.”
The nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed between 100,000 and 200,000 civilians, and spread radiation that caused diseases still affecting survivors today.
Another Republican, Rep. Tim Walberg (Michigan), made similar comments during a town hall in March of 2024.
Fine, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump during his run for Congress, is known for making bigoted, inflammatory remarks, often specifically aimed at inciting violence against Muslims, Arabs, and other groups.
Earlier this month, Fine called Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) a “Muslim terrorist” in response to a post by Tlaib highlighting widespread famine conditions caused by Israel’s blockade of Gaza. “#StarveAway,” Fine wrote.
This came after Fine had celebrated Israel’s killing of American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank in September. “One less #MuslimTerrorist. #FireAway,” Fine wrote.
During his time in the Florida state legislature, Fine also introduced legislation to suppress speech supporting the movements for Palestinian, Black and transgender lives, once again referencing supposed “Muslim terror.”
Learn more about third-party content on Zany Progressive
