LONDON: A Republican congressman has been recorded suggesting Gaza should be bombed like “Nagasaki and Hiroshima,” the two Japanese cities destroyed by atomic weapons in the Second World War, in comments that have drawn condemnation in the US.
In audio released on YouTube, Tim Walberg suggested Washington should not spend a “dime” on humanitarian aid in the enclave during a meeting with members of the public in Dundee, Michigan, on March 25.
Instead, the former Christian pastor said aid money should be given to Israel, the US’ “greatest ally, arguably, anywhere in the world,” and said Gaza “should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima,” adding: “Get it over quick.” He also talked about the need for Ukraine’s conflict with Russia to be concluded equally speedily.
Walberg said in a statement on Sunday the media had misreported his comments and denied advocating the use of nuclear weapons, but insisted he believed Israel needed to win the war in Gaza “as swiftly as possible.”
He said: “In a shortened clip, I used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible.
“The use of this metaphor, along with the removal of context, distorted my message, but I fully stand by these beliefs and stand by our allies.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement the congressman’s words were a “clear call to genocide.”
CAIR Executive Director Dawud Walid said: “This … should be condemned by all Americans who value human life and international law.
“To so casually call for what would result in the killing of every human being in Gaza sends the chilling message that Palestinian lives have no value.”
One user on social media platform X, who circulated the audio clip of Walberg, said: “A sitting US rep in a secret town hall feels comfortable musing privately about genocide.”
Another user said: “Exactly what Jesus would do, right?”
Israel began military operations in Gaza following the attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 which killed about 1,200 people. Since then, more than 30,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza.
The Biden administration has come under increased pressure to stop providing financial support to Israel, which stands at around $4 billion per annum, but it has so far resisted.
However, in a sign of a change in its position, the US abstained from a UN vote calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
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