A GOP congressman in Michigan publicly called for Gaza to be nuked.
Last week video from a town hall began circulating on Twitter. The clip shows Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) responding to a constituent’s question about the U.S. building a floating pier off Gaza’s coast to assist with the humanitarian aid shipments.
“I don’t think any of our aid that goes to Israel to support our greatest ally, arguably maybe in the world, to defeat Hamas and Iran and Russia, and probably North Korea’s in there, and China, too, with them helping Hamas — we shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid,” told the Dundee, Michigan crowd. “It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick. The same should be in Ukraine. Defeat Putin quick.”
A former pastor, Walberg, hasn’t apologized for the comments but released a statement claiming his remarks were misinterpreted.
“As a child who grew up in the Cold War Era, the last thing I’d advocate for would be the use of nuclear weapons. In a shortened clip, I used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible, without putting American troops in harm’s way,” it reads.
“My reasoning was the exact opposite of what is being reported: the quicker these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire. … The use of this metaphor, along with the removal of context, distorted my message, but I fully stand by these beliefs and stand by our allies,” it continues.
Walberg has faced backlash over the incident.
“This clear call to genocide by a member of Congress should be condemned by all Americans who value human life and international law,” said Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid. “To so casually call for what would result in the killing of every human being in Gaza sends the chilling message that Palestinian lives have no value. It is this dehumanization of the Palestinian people that has resulted in the ongoing slaughter and suffering we see every day in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“What’s your favorite adjective for GOP Rep. Tim Walberg, who said Gaza should be handled ‘like Nagasaki and Hiroshima’?,” tweeted CODE PINK’s Medea Benjamin. “Depraved? Barbaric? Racist? Heartless?”
Similar comments
Walberg isn’t the first GOP congress member to call for Gaza to be annihilated in recent weeks.
In February, Rep. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) got into a fiery exchange with an activist over Israel’s assault on Gaza.
“I’ve seen the footage of shredded children’s bodies,” the activist told the Congress member. “That’s my taxpayer dollars that are going to bomb those kids.”
“You know what? So, I think we should kill ’em all, if that makes you feel better,” responded Ogles. “Everybody in Hamas.”
“Do you have a heart? Do you have a family?” asked the activist.
“Hamas and the Palestinians have been attacking Israel for 20 years,” said Ogles. “And It’s time to pay the piper.”
Double standard
Such comments have generated some mainstream attention, but few elected Democrats have condemned them. In contrast, Republicans are consistently pushing for their colleagues to be reprimanded over support for Palestine or criticism of Israel.
Last fall, the House of Representatives passed a resolution to censure the only Palestinian member of Congress, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), after she called for Palestinians to be free.
“When Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib called for a ceasefire in October, they were denounced as ‘repugnant’ by the White House,” Political Director of JVP Action, Beth Miller told Mondoweiss. “When Congresswoman Tlaib then spoke of freedom and equality for all people from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, she was censured by the House of Representatives. But when Representative Walberg casually calls for the brutal annihilation of 2 million Palestinians in Gaza – a deafening silence.”
“Violent and racist anti-Palestinian rhetoric and policy have become so deeply normalized by our government institutions that open calls for mass atrocities go without any response,” she continued.
Last year, GOP House members successfully ousted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over her criticisms of Israel and the Israel lobby.
The U.S. government supplies Israel with more than $3.8 billion a year in military aid, and President Joe Biden is pushing Congress to approve another $14 billion. Last week, the administration reportedly authorized the transfer of more bombs and fighter jets to the country.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its assault on Gaza last October.
No need to explain, Tim. We heard you the first time.
I wonder who gave him the green light to call for Gaza to be nuked? It sounds as if this gofer is about ready to pick his rifle and head for Gaza …
Mr Peled in conversation with UK MP Mr Galloway
The vast majority in Israel believe in the annihilation of all of the people in Palestine. Mike Peled on the ‘horrific and racist’ discourse and parallels with the Holocaust
https://youtu.be/9JoP0nR4xiY?si=XR20BmZ-BhmKnQrb
Psychopaths are incapable of empathy and good behaviour. Sort of explains Biden and every member of Congress receiving lavish support from AIPAC.
This congressman sounds pretty crazy. His message is not (only) that Palestinian lives have no value. There are Israeli troops on the ground there,too, and our kidnapped hostages.