Rep. Tim Walberg calls for Gaza to be treated like 'Hiroshima': Axios
4 Min Read
Walberg denies calling for the use of nuclear weapons and says he "used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible."
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Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., speaks during an event at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Saturday, December 9, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP)
Gaza should be handled "like Nagasaki and Hiroshima", Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) stated at a town hall, inciting outrage and backlash from Democrats.
He continued that the US "shouldn't be spending a dime on humanitarian aid" delivery to Gaza, as seen in a video posted on social media, "It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima — get it over quick."
In his Sunday statement, Walberg denied that he calls for the use of nuclear weapons and said he "used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible."
He claimed that the clip was "shortened", which "distorted" his statement.
In a transcript and video sent to Axios, Walberg said, "Get it over quick. The same should be in Ukraine. Defeat Putin quick."
He then says, "For those who've read my full answer, not just a shortened clip or headline, it is apparent that I was talking about military aid and full-scale assaults conducted by both Israel and Ukraine to quickly win their respective wars."
"For any members who want additional context or have concerns, I encourage them to reach out to me".
Read more: US green-lights massacring of Palestinians by 'Israel': Ilhan Omar
'Eerily similar to Netanyahu'
Meanwhile, Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) told Axios, "I don't care how much he tries to walk back the statement, it's clear what he meant," calling Walberg's comments "despicable" and argued that "no member of Congress should ever joke about a nuclear bomb, and it shows an utter disregard for the lives of the Palestinians, not to mention the proximity of Israel to Gaza."
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) reacted by calling the comment "absolutely disgusting and horrifying" and said that "GOP extremists" in the US are "eerily similar to the extremists in the Netanyahu government like [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir... They don't want peace for Israelis and for Palestinians."
Democrats in Michigan, a state that President Joe Biden almost surely can't afford to lose in 2024, have already expressed concern that the way he has handled the current war in Gaza may cost him the election.
Back in November, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke called for a bill to ban Palestinians from the United States, mirroring a former proposal by former President Donald Trump’s infamous "Muslim ban."
The bill suggested pausing visas for Palestinians and revoking any visas issued since October 1. Zinke argued it would protect Americans from the threat of "Palestinian terrorists", which he claims are abusing the immigration system amid the current attacks on Gaza.
Earlier this month, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that most Democrats favor a presidential candidate who does not give military aid to "Israel", as opposed to the current US President Joe Biden ahead of the November elections.
Read next: How the war on Gaza is playing into US, UK domestic politics: NYT
The poll demonstrated that 56% of respondents who identified themselves as Democrats said they would vote for someone who doesn't supply military assistance to "Israel" as opposed to 40% who said they would.
This comes as Biden faces backlash in his own party for supporting "Israel's" genocide in Gaza, as a hypothetical poll shows he is tied at 36% with Republican opponent Trump.
