Washington, DC – Palestinian rights advocates in the USA are denouncing the choice of Republican Congressman Brian Mast to guide the Home Overseas Affairs Committee.
Mast, a pro-Israel hawk identified for his incendiary remarks about Palestinians, was nominated on Monday by fellow Republicans to be the chair of the influential panel within the incoming Congress, sparking outrage.
On Tuesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) highlighted Mast’s historical past of anti-Palestinian statements, together with his vilification of civilians and his name for destroying infrastructure in Gaza.
“Brian Mast could be the right individual to function a spokesperson for the struggle criminals of the Israeli authorities, however he has no enterprise operating congressional hearings on delicate worldwide points that impression our nation’s safety,” CAIR authorities affairs director Robert McCaw mentioned in a assertion.
Mast hit again at CAIR on Wednesday. “I’d be extra involved in the event that they had been supporting me. Tempo yourselves and buckle up,” he wrote in a social media put up.
To imagine management of the committee, the Florida Republican nonetheless must be elected by the complete Home, the place his get together holds a skinny majority when the brand new chamber takes workplace early in January.
If profitable, Mast — who wore an Israeli military uniform to the US Capitol final 12 months — will preside over the panel that oversees laws associated to international coverage.
Mast, a US military veteran who misplaced his legs in an assault in Afghanistan, has beforehand served as a civilian volunteer within the Israeli navy.
Evaluating Palestinians to Nazis
Because the begin of Israel’s struggle in Gaza in October final 12 months, Mast has publicly defended Israel’s proper to make use of any means essential to assault the Palestinian enclave.
Final 12 months, for instance, Mast mentioned humanitarian assist to Gaza “must be slowed down”, regardless of a suffocating Israeli siege that has brought on lethal hunger within the enclave.
The Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in November for suspected struggle crimes, together with the usage of starvation as a weapon of struggle.
Mast has additionally urged that each one Palestinians in Gaza are respectable targets for Israeli violence and hunger.
“I don’t suppose we’d so calmly throw across the time period ‘harmless Nazi civilians’ throughout World Warfare II. It isn’t a far stretch to say there are only a few harmless Palestinian civilians,” the US congressman mentioned final 12 months.
The remarks prompted Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs to guide an unsuccessful push to formally rebuke Mast within the Home.
“Brian Mast’s feedback are extremely harmful and dehumanizing as we proceed to push for humanitarian assist to succeed in Palestinians in hurt’s approach in Gaza and as Islamophobic hate crimes rise,” Jacobs mentioned in a press release at the moment.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the antiwar group Code Pink, described Mast because the “most merciless, heartless member of Congress”.
“His complete disregard for Palestinian civilians followers the flames of violence. His place as chair of the Overseas Affairs Committee bodes unwell for a international coverage that strives to guard human life and promote peace,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
Benjamin and different activists confronted Mast on Capitol Hill about his views earlier this 12 months. When requested whether or not he has seen footage of Palestinian kids killed by Israel, the Republican legislator responded: “These will not be harmless Palestinian civilians.”
Israel has killed at the very least 44,800 Palestinians, together with greater than 17,000 kids, in Gaza because the begin of the struggle, in line with native well being authorities.
United Nations consultants and rights teams have described the Israeli marketing campaign as a genocide: an effort to destroy the Palestinian individuals in entire or partly.
‘Absurdity and fanaticism’
Mast rejects any criticism in opposition to Israel by worldwide teams and the UN. He has additionally referred to as for disbanding the UN company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
Yasmine Taeb, the legislative and political director at MPower Change, a Muslim American civic engagement group, highlighted Mast’s historical past of “inflammatory and dehumanizing remarks”.
“Mast’s election as the following Chair of the Overseas Affairs Committee simply exhibits the utter absurdity and fanaticism we must always count on from the Home GOP subsequent 12 months,” Taeb instructed Al Jazeera in a press release.
When requested for remark in regards to the criticism, Mast’s workplace referred Al Jazeera to the congressman’s response to CAIR on social media.
Critics concern Mast’s nomination is probably going half of a bigger pattern in direction of unquestioning help for Israel’s struggle.
Whereas Democratic President Joe Biden has already offered billions of {dollars} in unconditional help to Israel, the incoming administration of Republican President Donald Trump is ready to be dominated by much more staunchly pro-Israel officers.
So Mast might be able to push international coverage measures in coordination with allies on the White Home. Republicans will even have a majority within the Senate.
Hassan el-Tayyab, legislative director for Center East coverage on the Buddies Committee on Nationwide Laws, a Quaker social justice group, referred to as Mast one of many “most ferociously anti-Palestinian voices” in Congress.
“His place sadly displays a broader sentiment amongst too many Congress members who proceed to provide unconditional weapons and navy help to Israel, regardless of the Netanyahu authorities violating numerous US legal guidelines and insurance policies by way of its indiscriminate navy marketing campaign in Gaza and past,” el-Tayyab instructed Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu’s workplace welcomed Mast’s nomination earlier this week, hailing the congressman as a “nice American patriot and a real pal of Israel”.
