A Republican state senator from Florida, currently running for US Congress, is facing widespread backlash after directing threats at two Muslim Congresswomen, warning them to "consider leaving before I get there," accompanied by the phrase "#BombsAway," in a post on X. 

The “Hebrew Hammer” is coming. @RashidaTlaib and @IlhanMN might consider leaving before I get there. #BombsAway https://t.co/0aCRVf39h7

— Senator Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) November 26, 2024

Randy Fine, a Florida state senator, known as "The Hebrew Hammer", has drawn sharp criticism for a threatening message aimed at Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. The remarks followed his endorsement by the Republican Jewish Coalition for his congressional campaign.   

Fine, who is of Jewish heritage, is eligible to settle in Israeli-occupied territories under the so-called Law of Return, which grants Jews worldwide the right to immigrate to "Israel". Meanwhile, Palestinians displaced from the same lands, including families like Representative Tlaib’s with roots in the region, are denied the right to return.  

Fine’s inflammatory remarks are part of a broader pattern. In 2021, Fine referred to Palestinians as "animals" and called for their destruction with the hashtag "#BlowThemUp".

More recently, after an American-Turkish activist was killed by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, Fine tweeted, "Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist," which led to his temporary suspension from the platform.  

Last month, in response to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing concern over the devastation caused by Israeli military actions, Fine dismissed the concerns, saying, "Who cares".

Not a first 

The progressive lawmakers' steadfast support for Gaza and Palestine placed a target on their backs since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in October 2023. 

Last year, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were briefed by the US Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms regarding potential threats. The voicemails they received contained profanity-laced death threats, with one message referring to Omar as a "terrorist Muslim". Another threat suggested that a vigilante group had information about “all your addresses and handed them out to rapists.”

“I’m from a militant group,” the male caller of a third voicemail threatened. “I can’t wait ‘till our group sees you one day and I can rip your f------ rag off your head... I hope the Israelis kill every f------ one of you.”

In her statement, Omar expressed that she and other Muslim Americans have faced “dishonest smear”. This false equation has created an environment conducive to the proliferation of threats and harassment.

This came shortly after Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib stood her ground, declining to apologize for her statement in which she held "Israel" responsible for the airstrike on a hospital in Gaza, an assertion that garnered strong criticism from Republicans.

Tlaib, among thousands of demonstrators demanding a Gaza ceasefire, had participated in a solidarity rally organized by the progressive group Jewish Voice for Peace at the National Mall. During her impassioned speech, she displayed visible emotions, occasionally halting her address to openly express her sorrow and to criticize lawmakers who have not supported a ceasefire resolution.

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