United States President-elect Donald Trump is encouraging a Florida legislator who celebrated the killing of an American citizen by the Israeli army to run for Congress.
Trump mentioned in a social media publish on Sunday that if State Senator Randy Wonderful decides to hunt a congressional seat in Florida, the state lawmaker would have his “Full and Whole Endorsement”.
Wonderful, who has a protracted historical past of anti-Muslim statements, sparked outrage earlier this 12 months when he appeared to reward the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a US activist who was fatally shot by the Israeli army within the occupied West Financial institution.
“Throw rocks, get shot. One much less #MuslimTerror ist. #FireAway,” Wonderful wrote in a social media publish in September.
Eygi was collaborating in a peaceable protest when she was shot. Each Israel and the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden have dismissed her killing as an accident.
Wonderful’s publish – which X (previously Twitter) discovered to be in violation of its violent speech coverage – is a part of a protracted record of inflammatory, anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic feedback by the state legislator.
“Wonderful is a buddy to nobody besides fascism,” Rasha Mubarak, a Palestinian-American activist from Florida, advised Al Jazeera.
“Trump’s endorsement alerts a deepening alignment with the violent, fascist parts throughout the capitalist class, whose pursuits are served by sowing division and perpetuating the dominance of imperialism.”
Wonderful usually proclaims that the US has a “Muslim drawback”. In 2021, when advised by a social media person that Palestinians had been being pressured out of their houses by Israel, he responded with: “#BlowThemUp”.
In keeping with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), he additionally despatched a personal message to a Florida resident saying: “Go blow your self up!”
Two years earlier, Wonderful referred to Jews who help Palestinian rights as “Judenrat” – Nazi collaborators.
Final 12 months, Wonderful argued that worry of Muslims is justified.
“Whereas many Muslims are usually not terrorists, they’re the radicals, not the mainstream,” he wrote in a publish on X. “Now’s the time to talk fact, not bathe in political correctness that can kill us.”
Wonderful’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to Al Jazeera’s response for remark.
Through the years, CAIR has referred to as on Florida lawmakers to censure and penalise Wonderful, together with over his current feedback on Eygi’s killing.
“We wrestle to consider one other time in trendy American historical past when an elected official brazenly celebrated the homicide of an American by a international authorities and inspired extra such killing,” CAIR’s deputy govt director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, mentioned in Might.
“Randy Wonderful has made it clear the place his priorities lie, and it isn’t with the American folks. We urge the Florida Home of Representatives to censure him for this hateful, un-American rant.”
Regardless of celebrating the killing of an American girl by a international army, Trump described Wonderful as an “America First Patriot”.
He referred to as on him to run for the seat of Congressman Mike Waltz, who will depart his seat to serve within the White Home as nationwide safety adviser.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will name for a particular election to fill the emptiness subsequent 12 months.
Wonderful, who beforehand served in Florida’s Home of Representatives and was not too long ago elected to the state’s Senate, has not introduced his candidacy, however he welcomed Trump’s assertion.
“It might be the consideration of my life to be one in all your footsoldiers,” he wrote, addressing the incoming president. “Your confidence is overwhelming and I’ll have information to share quickly!”
Trump himself has commonly unfold anti-Muslim rhetoric, together with saying that the Quran, Islam’s holy e book, teaches a “very damaging vibe” and proclaiming that “Islam hates us”.
He additionally imposed a journey ban on a number of Muslim-majority nations throughout his first time period as president.
However this 12 months, the previous president softened his tone as he courted Arab and Muslim voters, promising to deliver “peace” to the Center East.
Trump’s endorsement of Wonderful in addition to a few of his staunchly pro-Israel cupboard picks highlights the depth of his alliance with far-right forces.
