Washington, DC – Palestinian rights advocates in the USA are denouncing the collection of Republican Congressman Brian Mast to guide the Home International 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 is likely to be the proper particular person to function a spokesperson for the conflict criminals of the Israeli authorities, however he has no enterprise working congressional hearings on delicate worldwide points that impression our nation’s safety,” CAIR authorities affairs director Robert McCaw mentioned in a statement.
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 submit.
To imagine management of the committee, the Florida Republican nonetheless must be elected by the complete Home, the place his get together holds a thin 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 yr — will preside over the panel that oversees laws associated to overseas 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
For the reason that begin of Israel’s conflict in Gaza in October final yr, Mast has publicly defended Israel’s proper to make use of any means essential to assault the Palestinian enclave.
Final yr, for instance, Mast mentioned humanitarian help to Gaza “ought to be slowed down”, regardless of a suffocating Israeli siege that has triggered lethal hunger within the enclave.
The Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in November for suspected conflict crimes, together with the usage of starvation as a weapon of conflict.
Mast has additionally recommended that every one Palestinians in Gaza are legit targets for Israeli violence and hunger.
“I don’t assume we’d so frivolously 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 yr.
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 help to achieve Palestinians in hurt’s means 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 International Affairs Committee bodes ailing for a overseas coverage that strives to guard human life and promote peace,” she informed Al Jazeera.
Benjamin and different activists confronted Mast on Capitol Hill about his views earlier this yr. When requested whether or not he has seen photos of Palestinian youngsters killed by Israel, the Republican legislator responded: “These should not harmless Palestinian civilians.”
Israel has killed at the least 44,800 Palestinians, together with greater than 17,000 youngsters, in Gaza because the begin of the conflict, in response to native well being authorities.
United Nations consultants and rights groups have described the Israeli marketing campaign as a genocide: an effort to destroy the Palestinian folks in entire or partially.
‘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 International Affairs Committee simply exhibits the utter absurdity and fanaticism we must always count on from the Home GOP subsequent yr,” Taeb informed 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 conflict.
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 could possibly push overseas coverage measures in coordination with allies on the White Home. Republicans can even have a majority within the Senate.
Hassan el-Tayyab, an advocacy organiser on the Mates 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 Congress members, particularly amongst Republicans, who proceed to provide unconditional weapons and navy help to Israel, regardless of the Netanyahu authorities violating US legal guidelines and insurance policies via its indiscriminate marketing campaign in Gaza and past,” el-Tayyab informed Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu’s office welcomed Mast’s nomination earlier this week, hailing the congressman as a “nice American patriot and a real good friend of Israel”.
