Why it matters:
The remarks by Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, have been widely denounced as inflammatory and dangerous. His comments, which invoke the use of nuclear weapons against Gaza, come amid heightened tensions and continuing Israeli bombardments, raising concerns over the normalization of genocidal rhetoric in Western political discourse.
What he's saying:
In an interview with Fox News, Fine declared that the U.S. should carry out in Gaza what it did in Japan during World War II — referring to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “We didn’t negotiate with the Nazis or the Japanese,” he said. “We used nuclear weapons — twice — to secure unconditional surrender. That’s what needs to happen here.” He went on to describe the Palestinian cause as “pure evil.”
What they're saying:
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement issued a strongly worded statement condemning Fine’s comments as a “heinous apartheid-style declaration” and a clear incitement to commit crimes against humanity.“We consider this a horrifying echo of fascist ideologies that history has already condemned,” the statement read.
Go deeper:
Fine’s remarks reflect a broader trend of increasingly extreme rhetoric among some U.S. lawmakers in relation to the Palestinian conflict. Human rights groups have warned that such discourse, if left unchecked, may pave the way for war crimes and normalize violence against civilian populations.
ahmad shirzadian
