Trump Appointee: Palestinians ‘Fundamentally Evil,’ Not Worthy of ‘Any Mercy’

Date: 02 February 2025 - 21:49

News ID: ۱۳۶۴۷۴

WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – A Trump-appointed board member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council launched a vitriolic attack on Palestinians in Gaza, saying they are “fundamentally evil” and not worthy of “any mercy”.
In an editorial in The Jerusalem Post newspaper, Martin Oliner, who was elected to the council just days before the January 6 riots, defended the U.S. president’s recent remarks calling for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza to Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan.
Oliner, who serves as chairman of Religious Zionists of America, president of the Culture for Peace Institute and is also a frequent columnist with The Jerusalem Post, said those concerned with the plight of the Palestinian people should be “gushing with praise for the president for caring enough to find them a positive resolution to their current problems”.
He then added: “And those like myself who do not believe Gazans are worthy of any mercy should welcome it as well.
“Let’s not mince words here. The people of Gaza are collectively guilty,” he wrote, adding: “The actions of the Gazan people prove they need detoxifying education before the reconstruction should even be able to begin. They are fundamentally evil, and they must pay a price for their actions.”
Oliner’s remarks drew fierce criticism from the Council on American–Islamic Relations (Cair), which called on Trump to immediately remove him from his position on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
“It is unacceptable for anyone who believes that all children and everyone else in a population are ‘fundamentally evil’ and unworthy of ‘mercy’ to hold a position with any organization, whether a private or public entity,” Cair said.
“It is exactly these types of racist, hate-filled views that lead to crimes against humanity, including the genocide in Gaza.”
Last week, days a week after a ceasefire took hold in Gaza, ending 15 months of war, Trump described Gaza as a “demolition site” and said it would be better if “we just clean out that whole thing”.
“I would like Egypt to take people,” Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say: ‘You know, it’s over’.”
Egypt and Jordan - key U.S. allies in the region - have repeatedly rejected Trump’s proposal, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi saying Egyptians would take to the streets to express their disapproval.