Washington, DC – A right-wing ally of US President Donald Trump’s administration, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has suggested that Israel is staging a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, igniting a growing rift in the Republican Party.
More than 120 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of an Israeli-imposed hunger crisis, according to Greene’s condemnation of the dire situation in a social media post this week.
She also criticized Randy Fine, who has openly praised the displacement of Palestinians.
According to Greene, “Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, as is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation taking place in Gaza.”
Her words echoe those of influential UN and human rights organizations, who argued that Israel’s actions in Gaza were equivalent to genocide.
One of the most grave war crimes is a genocide, as defined by the UN as “acts committed with the intention to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.”
More than 60, 000 people have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza so far, and the majority of it has been destroyed.
Greene’s remarks are even more remarkable because only a select few US lawmakers have charged Israel with genocide.
The political left has dominated the US legislatures, making up the majority of the opposition to Israel’s occupation of Gaza. However, Greene is one of Trump’s right-wing Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters.
The Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has restricted access to basic supplies, has remained under increasing international pressure.
In recent days, Israel’s image in the US political landscape has become more polarized due to images of Palestinian children who are malnourished and reports of widespread hunger in Gaza.
Democrats’ representative John Garamendi also made the suggestion that Israel’s policies constitute genocide last week.
“It’s impossible to ignore the starvation brought on by Israel’s dangerous and willful failure to provide humanitarian aid,” Garamendi said.
Israel receives a raft of billions of dollars in military aid from the US, as well as diplomatic support at international conferences. Despite its atrocities and blocking of Gaza, the Trump administration has not been particularly open to criticism.
Last week, Fine, a further Trump ally, sparked outrage when he appeared to support Israel’s starvation campaign in Gaza while also labeling it as “Muslim terror propaganda.”
He wrote in a social media post earlier this week, “Release the hostages.” “Until then, starve yourself.”
Fine, who won the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has a history of anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic views, and was elected to Congress earlier this year with Trump’s support.
For instance, in 2021, a commenter emailed Fine a photo of a dead Palestinian child and inquired about his way of sleeping. He glibly responded, “Quite well, actually! ” I appreciate the picture!
He also made an appearance in September of last year to applaud the Israeli military’s fatal shooting of US activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank.
“Give rocks, and get shot.” #MuslimTerror is one less. #FireAway, Fine wrote in a similar social media post at the time.
In response to the House of Representatives’ earlier in July’s attack on Muslim American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on social media, Fine was described as “unhinged, racist, and Islamophobic.”
Omar had criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC, saying, “I’m sure it’s difficult to see us welcome the murder of so many of your fellow Muslim terrorists.”
Even for some of Israel’s steadfastest supporters, the Republican congressman’s recent remarks about the starvation in Gaza seem to have gone too far.
Last week, Fine’s remarks were criticized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), an organization that supports Israel.
In response to Fine’s post, AJC wrote, “Implying that starvation is a legitimate tactic is unacceptable.”
“All people should be given humanitarian aid as soon as possible in order to avoid harm.” Our leaders must concentrate on carrying out their duties rather than on winning political victories.
Source: Aljazeera
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