Dogs, Muslims, and Randy Fine

Florida Representative, Randy Fine (JTA)

We need all the pro-Israel members of Congress we can get. There are far too many who are openly hostile to Israel and many more whose support is tepid. Most (though not all) Democrats. 

Sadly, some of those Democrats are Jewish - at least by birth, if not in practice. There are also reliable anti-Israel Republicans. Among them Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Thankfully, neither is running for reelection.

And then there is Florida Representative Randy Fine. He is probably one of the most pro-Israel Republicans in the House. Unfortunately, he seems to be increasingly becoming the “Ben-Gvir” of the House.

I am loath to criticize someone whose support for the Jewish state is as strong as Randy Fine’s. But it may well be that the price of that support is too high. For example, what he tweeted last Sunday, as reported by JTA:

“If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”

The comment implied that he would choose dogs over Muslims if forced to decide who should be allowed into this country. His explanation - that he was responding to a tweet from the leader of a radical pro-Palestinian activist group - doesn’t help much. The comment was wrong. It was anti-Muslim and hurtful. Not all Muslims that come to America are terrorists. Many are decent people who simply want to live their lives in peace and pursue the American dream.

It didn’t take long for even moderate pro-Israel Democrats in Congress to condemn him in harsh terms. For example:

The Jewish Democratic Council of America called Fine’s remarks “a disgrace to Congress, an affront to everything America stands for, and antithetical to Jewish values,” and urged Congress to censure him. Democratic Majority for Israel, which works to strengthen support for Israel among Democrats, called the remarks “vile and indefensible.”

Moderate Jewish Democrats, including Senator Jacky Rosen and Representative Dan Goldman, also blasted Fine for his comments.“

This disgusting and dehumanizing rhetoric is unbecoming of any American—especially a Member of Congress,” Rosen tweeted.

There was much more from Democrats in that vein.

I actually agree with them... 

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