U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee is under fire for his comments on the war in Gaza. In a recently released video, Ogles can be seen walking through the U.S. Capitol, as a pro-Palestinian activist questions him on America’s support for Israel’s military.
“I’ve seen footage of shredded children’s bodies, and that’s my taxpayer dollars going to bomb those kids,” the woman said.
“You know what? I think we should kill them all if that makes you feel better.” Ogles said. “Everybody in Hamas.”
Later in the exchange, Ogles grouped Hamas with the Palestinian people.
“Hamas and the Palestinians have been attacking Israel for 20 years. It is time to pay the piper,” he said.
Ogles has since defended his comments as “clearly referencing Hamas terrorists.” In a statement, he called media coverage of the exchange “Marxian.”
“I stand by Israel and their right to punish Hamas on a scale of Biblical proportions, including their accomplices,” he said.
Metro Nashville Councilmember Zulfat Suara said that Ogles’ attitude has normalized incidents like the neo-Nazi rally held in Nashville over the weekend.
“In the conflict overseas, I have been very mindful of what I say and how I say it because I want to make sure that my Jewish friends are not hurt in what I say and to make sure that my Palestinian families are taken care of,” Suara said. “But when legislators at the federal level and the state level continue to demonize people, continue to only look at one side and not the other, that’s the result that we see on the streets. And I hope that we will continue to do better. This otherization, this demonization, this ‘kill them all’ is only breaking us apart.”
The American Muslim Advisory Council, or AMAC, has also denounced Ogles’ comments.
“Such rhetoric is not only abhorrent but also antithetical to our values as a state. It is such rhetoric that has continued to foster a political climate where extremist ideologies flourish, empowering neo-Nazis to openly parade through our streets and allowing genocidal sentiments to go unchallenged,” the Tennessee-based organization said in a statement. “This cannot be tolerated any longer. As citizens of Tennessee, we deserve better representation from those elected to office.”
House Majority Leader William Lamberth filed a resolution Tuesday that would condemn neo-Nazism in the state.
“Racism and hatred in any form are repugnant and sinful,” he wrote in the resolution. “Neo-Nazi groups promote an ideology in conflict with our nation’s bedrock principles of liberty and justice for all.”
AMAC said it has seen a rise in anti-Muslim attacks across the state, including a pregnant woman being attacked by a neighbor in Memphis, online threats to the Muslim community in Hamilton County and teenagers in Nashville being assaulted and called “terrorists” after attending a rally.
Last week, AMAC was also forced to take down a student survey after receiving a threat associated with one of the submissions.
Update: This story was updated to include more comments from the recorded exchange with Rep. Andy Ogles, his follow-up statement and comments made by Councilmember Zulfat Suara.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM