Meet the pro-Israel hawk set to guide US Home overseas coverage panel

Washington, DC – Palestinian rights advocates in the US are denouncing the choice of Republican Congressman Brian Mast to guide the Home Overseas Affairs Committee.

Mast, a pro-Israel hawk recognized 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 perhaps the proper particular person to function a spokesperson for the conflict criminals of the Israeli authorities, however he has no enterprise operating congressional hearings on delicate worldwide points that influence our nation’s safety,” CAIR authorities affairs director Robert McCaw mentioned in a press release.

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 publish.

To imagine management of the committee, the Florida Republican nonetheless must be elected by the total 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 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 army.

Evaluating Palestinians to Nazis

For the reason that begin of Israel’s conflict 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 “ought to be slowed down”, regardless of a suffocating Israeli siege that has brought about lethal hunger within the enclave.

The Worldwide Prison 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 using starvation as a weapon of conflict.

Mast has additionally instructed that each one Palestinians in Gaza are respectable targets for Israeli violence and hunger.

“I don’t suppose we’d so flippantly throw across the time period ‘harmless Nazi civilians’ throughout World Warfare II. It’s not 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 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 Overseas Affairs Committee bodes ailing for a overseas coverage that strives to guard human life and promote peace,” she advised 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 photos of Palestinian kids killed by Israel, the Republican legislator responded: “These usually are not harmless Palestinian civilians.”

Israel has killed at the very least 44,800 Palestinians, together with greater than 17,000 kids, in Gaza for the reason that begin of the conflict, in accordance with native well being authorities.

United Nations specialists and rights teams 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 Overseas Affairs Committee simply reveals the utter absurdity and fanaticism we must always anticipate from the Home GOP subsequent 12 months,” Taeb advised Al Jazeera in a press release.

When requested for remark concerning 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 development in direction of unquestioning assist for Israel’s conflict.

Whereas Democratic President Joe Biden has already offered billions of {dollars} in unconditional assist 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 will 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 produce unconditional weapons and army assist to Israel, regardless of the Netanyahu authorities violating US legal guidelines and insurance policies by way of its indiscriminate marketing campaign in Gaza and past,” el-Tayyab advised 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”.