Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is stoking backlash on social media after defending the U.S. decision to drop two atomic bombs over Japan during World War II while simultaneously suggesting Israel should take similar measures to end its war with Hamas.
“When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons,” Graham said in an interview Sunday with NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “That was the right decision.”
“Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties,” Graham added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were taken hostage.
Since then, more than 35,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and critical infrastructure has been all but wiped out. The majority of hospitals in Gaza are not functional and parts of the Strip are experiencing a “full-blown famine,” according to World Food Program director Cindy McCain.
Graham’s comments come in the wake of President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. is pausing shipments of bombs and certain offensive weapons to Israel amid looming concerns about a full-scale military offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where 1.3 million Palestinians—more than half Gaza’s population—have sought refuge.
“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah—they haven’t gone in Rafah yet—if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities—that deal with that problem,” Biden told CNN.
Biden’s move has come under bipartisan criticism, including from Graham, who dubbed the pause “the worst decision in the history of the US-Israel relationship.”
But Graham’s outrage over Biden’s conditioning of the weapons is provoking criticism as well.
“This kind of absolutely bloodthirsty, genocidal rhetoric should get anyone immediately pushed out of mainstream political life,” wrote CNN columnist Jill Filipovic. “Of course it won’t though, because ‘nuke the Arabs’ has been a fully acceptable thing for Republicans to say for several decades now.”
“it’s pretty amazing lots of folks think world war two tactics from 80 years ago work on terrorist groups despite ALL THE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY,” quipped Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Ct.).
“226,000 innocent civilians died. Men, women and children that had no say in their governments actions, had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor,” admonished another user on X (the exact number of casualties from the atomic bombs is unknown, but estimates range from more than 100,000 to more than 200,000). “And this lunatic [Graham] wants to put another couple hundred thousand innocent civilians to death.”
Concluded a separate X user: “Senator Lindsey Graham just suggested nuking Gaza on national TV.”
Ron Paul, a three-time presidential candidate and former Republican congressman from Texas, commented that Graham “Is A Big Reason Why Much of The World Hates The U.S.”
And someone else called for Graham’s expulsion from Congress over his comments.
“This man is deranged and must be removed from his position,” the user said.
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