Controversial Comment Sparks Outrage in Florida State Legislature
A Florida state Republican lawmaker is facing backlash after making a public comment calling for the death of all Palestinians. The remark was made during a debate in the state legislature regarding a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Palestinians, including numerous children. This military assault was initiated by Hamas fighters launching an attack on Israel from Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 1,400 people and the hostage-taking of over 200 individuals.
During a speech in support of the ceasefire resolution, Democratic Florida state representative Angie Nixon expressed her concern by stating, “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?” In response, Michelle Salzman, a fellow lawmaker, shockingly replied, “All of them.” Nixon acknowledged this interruption, exclaiming, “One of my colleagues just said, ‘All of them.’ Wow.”
Following the incident, the Florida state house voted 104-2 to reject Nixon’s resolution. Salzman’s office did not provide any comment regarding her statement. The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair-Florida), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the US, released a statement condemning Salzman’s remarks as a “chilling call for genocide” and attributing them to the dehumanization of Palestinians over the years by proponents of Israeli apartheid and their supporters in government and the media.
This incident follows the recent censure of Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in the US Congress, who faced criticism for echoing a popular Palestine rallying cry. While some view this as antisemitic, others consider it a call for Palestinian civil rights. The censure resolution, supported by 22 Democrats, accused Tlaib of promoting false narratives about the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel and calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.
In Florida, there are growing demands for Salzman to be censured by those who oppose her comments. Imam Abdullah Jaber, the executive director of Cair-Florida, stated, “Salzman’s words are incredibly dangerous and dehumanizing to Palestinians both at home and under Israeli occupation. She must face censure from her party and receive a public repudiation from all Florida legislators.”
Prior to Nixon’s speech, Israel had agreed to daily four-hour humanitarian pauses. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rejected a deal for a five-day ceasefire with Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, which would have included the release of Israeli hostages. On Thursday, US President Joe Biden stated that a ceasefire was not currently feasible.
