Congressman Tim Walberg has apologized over comments he made suggesting a rapid end to the Israel-Hamas war with a controversial World War II reference to Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
“As a child who grew up in the Cold War era, the last thing I’d advocate for would be the use of nuclear weapons. I used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible, without putting American troops in harm’s way,” Walberg clarified in a statement.
Walberg’s remarks were made late in March at a town hall meeting in Dundee, Michigan. Responding to a constituent who was concerned that US troops are being put in danger by constructing a planned humanitarian pier off the coast of Gaza, Walberg said, “We shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid. It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick.”
Walberg’s apology over his poor choice of words didn’t do much for Jewish Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
“I don’t care how much he tries to walk back the statement; it’s clear what he meant,” Stevens told Axios.
“No member of Congress should ever joke about a nuclear bomb, and it shows an utter disregard for the lives of the Palestinians, not to mention the proximity of Israel to Gaza,” she added.
