Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has positioned himself as a fervent supporter of Israel, a stance underpinned by the $256,043 he has received from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to fund his political campaigns. Hawley’s outspoken defense of Israel comes at a time when the genocide in Gaza has reached devastating proportions. As of August 2024, the death toll in Gaza has climbed to nearly 40,000 civilians, with 16,500 of those being children. The Lancet projects that 180,000 Gazans will ultimately be murdered by the Israeli military. Despite these horrifying statistics, Hawley remains steadfast in his support for pro-Israel legislation, a position that has severe implications for Palestinians enduring military occupation, land grabs, and systemic violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
Hawley’s rhetoric not only champions Israel but also seeks to suppress dissent within the United States. He has condemned students across the country protesting Israel’s genocide project, claiming that “Jewish Americans are at risk” on college campuses and urging President Biden to mobilize the National Guard to suppress free speech. Furthermore, he introduced a resolution urging the Department of Justice to investigate pro-Palestine student groups, falsely linking them to Hamas despite their stance against genocide. His actions reflect a broader strategy of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, thereby stifling legitimate discourse on the human rights violations occurring in Palestine.
Senator Hawley’s dismissive attitude towards his constituents’ concerns for his involvement of using their tax dollars to fund a genocide. He tweeted, “To all those anti-Israel protests who marched around my office today, I don’t care how many drums you bang or slogans you chant, I will not stop calling out the unconscionable attacks on Jewish Americans or waiver in my support for Israel.” This rhetoric, combined with his significant financial ties to AIPAC, underscores a troubling allegiance to an agenda that overlooks the grave humanitarian consequences in Gaza in favor of political and financial gain.
Related Links
Hawley Demands Biden Use National Guard to Protect Jewish Students Amid Pro-Hamas Campus Protests, Josh Hawley Gov., April 2023
Senator Hawley Unveils Resolution Condemning Hamas and Antisemitic Student Activities on College Campuses, Josh Hawley Gov., October 2023
Josh Tweets Against Pro-Palestine Consitents, X, November 2023
The Nakba did not start or end in 1948, Al Jazeera News, May 2017
Gaza infrastructure damages estimated at $18.5bn in UN-World Bank report, Al Jazeera News, April 2024
