Latest news with #Fine
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
AIPAC Says It's Too Early to Say if They Don't Support Starving Kids
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee was forced to clarify that they had not actually un-endorsed Florida Representative Randy Fine for his grotesque statements wishing starvation on Palestinians. AIPAC responded Tuesday to a Times of Israel report claiming that the group appeared to have 'dropped' its endorsement of Fine, after he went missing from the group's database of pro-Israel candidates. 'This reporting is based on an unsourced speculative piece,' AIPAC wrote in a statement on X. 'We will be endorsing candidates for the 2026 election throughout the cycle. Current endorsees for 2026 so far are listed on the AIPAC-PAC website.' 'As Rep. Fine was elected only in April, consideration of his endorsement will take place later in the cycle, as is the case with many other freshmen members of Congress,' the statement continued. It turns out that it was simply wishful thinking to believe that the pro-Israel action group would ever draw the line at cheerleading famine—or advocating for violence against protesters. But AIPAC's response doesn't quite add up. It's not clear why the group would choose only to list endorsees for 2026, and why Fine wouldn't be grandfathered in after earning the group's endorsement just four months ago. After all, the group did pour more than $126,000 into Fine's campaign, according to FEC filings. Now they say they need more time to decide? Fine's absence on AIPAC's list was first observed by Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats, a political action group working to see progressive Democrats elected to office.
The Hill
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Greene calls Gaza humanitarian crisis a ‘genocide'
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a 'genocide' in a social media, appearing to be the first Republican in Congress to use the term to describe the situation. 'It's the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,' Greene said in a post on X on Monday night. Her comment came as part of a larger response criticizing fellow Republican Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), one of three Jewish Republicans in the House who joined the chamber after a special election earlier this year. Greene dug into Fine over his recent social media posts about the conflict, including denying that there is starvation in Gaza. 'There is no starvation. Everything about the 'Palestinian' cause is a lie,' Fine said in a post on Sunday. Last week, Fine posted: 'Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.' Trump on Monday said there was 'real starvation' happening in Gaza and that the U.S. would do more to address it. 'I can only imagine how Florida's 6th district feels now that their Representative, that they were told to vote for, openly calls for starving innocent people and children,' Greene said, before going on to make her comment about the genocide. 'But a Jewish U.S. Representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful. His awful statement will actually cause more antisemitism,' Greene said. Fine's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and he has not yet responded on social media. Greene's stance marks a major break with her party, and an escalation of her criticism of Israel — and U.S. financial support for Israel — as the war in Gaza drags on. Over the weekend she posted that 'what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific.' Earlier this month, Greene introduced an amendment to cut funding to Israel's missile defense, which failed in a 6-422 vote. Greene has previously been accused of antisemitism, most famously over a 2018 Facebook post that has come to be known as the 'Jewish space laser' post — though Greene never used that phrase. In the post, Greene in which she floated that a 'laser beam or light beam' from 'space solar generators' could be to blame for wildfires in California, also mentioning the 'Rothschild Inc.' Greene later said she did not know the Rothschilds have long been at the center of antisemitic conspiracy theories. Greene also voted against an antisemitism awareness bill last year, saying it would define antisemitic behavior to include remarks about Jews killing Jesus, which she said went against the Bible.
Epoch Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Jewish Congressman Dons Yarmulke Daily in Hat Tip to Those Battling Anti-Semitism
Though new to wearing the religious skullcap regularly, a Florida Republican aims to inspire college students and others to display their faith despite fear. WASHINGTON—Like enthusiastic audience members tossing bouquets on stage after a performance that pleases them, fans of a new Republican congressman from Florida are showering him with appreciation for the public positions he's taking in Congress. But instead of giving Rep. Randy Fine flowers, his supporters are sending him yarmulkes. About a dozen of the traditional Jewish skullcaps have arrived at his congressional office with missives expressing solidarity with his stand against anti-Semitism. Part of traditional religious garb, the yarmulkes in a rainbow of designs now fill a drawer in his Capitol Hill desk. Story continues below advertisement 'People want me to wear their kippah on the House floor, and I'm happy to do it,' Fine said, using an alternate word for the headcovering worn by some Jewish men. One favorite is an orange-and-blue yarmulke from Chabad UF Jewish Student and Community Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Another has his name spelled in Hebrew. An enclosed note read, 'May [God] bless you and your family for the way you've been advocating for and defending our people.' Fine represents Florida's Sixth Congressional District, which stretches from the center of the state to the Atlantic coastline, and from Daytona Beach up to just south of St. Augustine. He took office in April after winning a special election to fill the seat vacated by Mike Waltz, who was appointed national security advisor in January under President Donald Trump. Waltz has since been nominated by Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. For now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in addition to his main role, is serving as interim national security adviser. A Fine Way to Take a Stand Fine is Jewish, but wearing a yarmulke daily is new to him. The decision to start wearing such a public-facing symbol of his religious faith came after a gentle prod from his 17-year-old son, Jacob. Story continues below advertisement A letter and yarmulke sent to Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) at his congressional office in Washington in July 2025. Courtesy of the office of Rep. Randy Fine The congressman was set to participate on May 7 for the first time in a hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee about campus anti-Semitism. Acts of hostility against Jews erupted around the world after the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since Israel's retaliation began, intimidation and violence aimed at Jewish students have created chaos on some U.S. college campuses. Fine's son asked him to wear a yarmulke to the hearing. He told his father about friends in college who are scared to wear the garment that identifies them as Jews for fear of being attacked. Story continues below advertisement By wearing it in his congressional role, he could send a message that Jewish students should be able to wear their headcoverings without fear, Jacob Fine told his father. 'So I wore it that day and I got extraordinary feedback for doing it,' the congressman said in an interview with The Epoch Times. 'It meant a lot to people.' The Jewish community, he said, had an 'overwhelmingly positive' response. People called his office to thank him. Some paid him in-person compliments. 'Way to go,' fellow Jews cheered. They encouraged him to keep wearing it. Even President Donald Trump mentioned he liked the yarmulke Fine wore to a White House reception for congressional Republicans. Story continues below advertisement It matters, he realized. 'Remember,' Fine said, 'Jewish kids feel really attacked these days, and to see somebody willing to lean in and pick up the fight and fight for them, I think it gives them hope that the problem will be resolved.' A kind of mission was born. Jacob Fine, his father recalled, 'said, 'You know what, Dad? I think the reaction was so good, I think you should continue to wear it until Jewish kids feel safe wearing their kippahs on college campuses.'' Story continues below advertisement So that 'probably means I'm going to wear it for the rest of my life,' the congressman said. Rep. Randy Fine attends a hearing in Washington on July 22, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times Fine doesn't come from a religious background. He's worn a yarmulke when attending religious services, he said. But it hasn't been part of his daily life. Wearing the symbol of his religious faith while being in the speaker's chair on the House floor overseeing a session of Congress in place of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was a moment of jubilation for young Orthodox Jewish kids who attended the hearing. Story continues below advertisement From his spot in the chamber, Fine spotted the young people—identifiable by their traditional Jewish garments—pointing at him and gesturing jubilantly, he said. 'I believe God speaks to us in interesting ways,' he said. 'And so what I felt like I was being told is, 'You know what? You should do this to make people feel better.'' Fine then discovered through the House clerk's office that he was the first member of Congress to wear a yarmulke on the House floor. The late Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), an Orthodox Jew, did not wear one in public, that lawmaker revealed in a 2011 interview. Story continues below advertisement Fine felt it was time for a Jew in Congress to proudly display his faith. 'It's important in this time of anti-Semitism to speak loud,' Fine said. 'And so I'm doing it.' Goodbye to Bacon Since committing to a public display of his faith, Fine also has moved toward following religious dietary restrictions outlined for Jews in the Torah books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. In 'keeping kosher,' approved foods must be prepared following strict guidelines. And certain foods are prohibited, such as shellfish, pork, and items that mix beef and milk-derived products. The need to align with those observances at this time in his life became evident recently at a cocktail party, Fine said. As he added nonkosher food to his plate, people stared. 'My rabbi thinks it's hilarious, because he says, 'Well, now you have to keep kosher,'' Fine said with a chuckle. Story continues below advertisement 'So there's the downside. My days of bacon, apparently, are over.' But that's OK, he said. He's proud to wear the symbol of his faith. And his hunger to combat anti-Semitism is stronger than any desire for a decidedly not-kosher bacon cheeseburger. Fine hasn't always prioritized Jewish issues. But after his election to the state Legislature in 2016, the Orthodox Union asked Fine to put forth legislation to obtain funding for security at Jewish day schools. Story continues below advertisement He initially said no. The district didn't have any such facilities. The Orthodox Union pushed. He was the only one who could put forth an initiative to get funding to protect the institutions, representatives said. After all, they argued, he was the only Republican Jew in the state Legislature. Persuaded, Fine put forth a budget amendment to allocate $2 million toward the security funding. Story continues below advertisement It passed. But it wasn't easy. The House speaker at the time objected to the way the funding was added to the state budget, and that put the measure in jeopardy, Fine said. In an attempt to save the funding, Fine asked the speaker to visit a Jewish day school. They agreed to meet at the school one morning at 9. But the other lawmaker couldn't find the campus. He called Fine, fuming. There was no sign for the school—and for good reason, Fine said. Story continues below advertisement The schools where Jewish children were taught were receiving threats of violence. It was a 'lightbulb moment' for Fine's fellow legislator, who came to realize that the funding was necessary. As a result of Fine's fight, the 2017 Florida budget included $641,000 for security funding at Jewish day schools. In 2024, the funding grew to $20 million. The funding battle opened Fine's eyes. He realized that a Jewish person is needed to fight for issues related to the Jewish community, because they understand the needs better than those on the outside. Story continues below advertisement 'And I'm not afraid to fight,' he said. The security funding, Fine said, helped make 'Florida the safest place in America—probably the safest place outside of Israel—to be Jewish.' House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) (L) participates in a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Randy Fine and his wife Wendy Fine at the Capitol on April 2, in Congress, Fine also is working to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. He wants to help President Donald Trump meet his goals. And he wants to help the GOP prove that it can govern well when in the majority. Story continues below advertisement He's also chasing ways to bring down the national debt and reduce the federal budget deficit. 'The Hebrew Hammer' Fine's enthusiasm for being identified by his religion has swelled since his time serving in the Florida Legislature. He served eight years in the Florida House, and then about a year and a half in the state Senate, where he was the only Republican Jew. There, he reluctantly accepted a nickname: 'The Hebrew Hammer.' Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) stands next to an award noting his nickname, "The Hebrew Hammer," on a wall of his office on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 22, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times 'My colleagues started to call me that,' he said. 'Finally, I [told myself], 'Look, if the shoe fits, you might as well wear it.'' Now he embraces the moniker, a nod to his forceful nature. 'I'm willing to say the truth,' he said. 'And I think a big part of the problem that we have in America is we have too many people who are afraid to do that.'
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Marjorie Taylor Greene is first Republican lawmaker to call Gaza crisis a ‘genocide'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Greene's comments were a direct rebuke of one Republican colleague in particular, Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, who has drawn intense criticism for comments he made on social media last week calling the images of starving children in Gaza a campaign of 'Muslim terror propaganda.' Advertisement 'Release the hostages,' Fine wrote, adding, 'until then, starve away.' Fine, a first-term lawmaker who has been outspoken in Congress about his Jewish faith and staunchly pro-Israel views, made the remarks the same day that he was elevated to a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the influential panel that focuses on international policy. Fine made his comments before President Donald Trump said there was 'real starvation' happening in Gaza and made commitments to offer additional support to increase aid. Advertisement 'That's real starvation stuff -- I see it, and you can't fake that,' Trump said Monday after a series of meetings with European leaders while in Scotland. 'We have to get the kids fed.' Greene had already started to make her pivot before Trump's comments, as had some others in the MAGA movement. 'Standing with Israel means eliminating every barbaric Hamas terrorist,' Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas wrote on social media, in a quote Greene recirculated. 'It also means rejecting the killing and starvation of children in Gaza.' Earlier this month, she said in a statement that: 'Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza.' The remarks were made after a failed bid, led by Greene, to strip $500 million of American military funding that Congress had approved as part of annual defense support for Israel. The effort failed with only six members, two Republicans and four Democrats, voting in favor. That coalition included Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American serving in Congress. The pairing of Greene and Tlaib on the effort to revoke the funding, for Israel's Iron Dome weapons system, was an unlikely one. Greene two years ago led a failed effort to censure Tlaib, accusing her of 'antisemitic activity' and 'sympathizing with terrorists' after the Democrat spoke at a pro-Palestinian protest about the 'dehumanizing conditions' in Gaza and called for 'lifting the blockade' against humanitarian aid. On Sunday, Greene posted on social media that she could 'unequivocally say that what happened to innocent people in Israel on Oct 7th was horrific. Just as I can unequivocally say that what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in .
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is First Republican Lawmaker to Call Gaza Crisis a ‘Genocide'
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who often casts herself as the standard-bearer of MAGA politics on Capitol Hill, said a 'genocide' is underway in Gaza, becoming the first member of her party in Congress to use the term as she condemned the humanitarian disaster unfolding there. 'It's the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct. 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,' Ms. Greene said in a social media post on Monday evening. It was the strongest in a series of escalating statements she has made in recent weeks criticizing Israel's conduct of the war and calling for action to end the suffering in Gaza. The stance is a clear break with the vast majority of Republicans in Congress, who have made unconditional support for Israel a hallmark of their foreign policy approach. Ms. Greene's comments were a direct rebuke of one Republican colleague in particular, Representative Randy Fine of Florida, who has drawn intense criticism for comments he made on social media last week calling the images of starving children in Gaza a campaign of 'Muslim terror propaganda.' 'Release the hostages,' Mr. Fine wrote, adding, 'until then, starve away.' Mr. Fine, a first-term lawmaker who has been outspoken in Congress about his Jewish faith and staunchly pro-Israel views, made the remarks the same day that he was elevated to a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the influential panel that focuses on international policy. Mr. Fine made his comments before President Trump said there was 'real starvation' happening in Gaza and made commitments to offer additional support to increase aid. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
