Trump appointee: Palestinians are 'fundamentally evil' and not worthy of 'any mercy'

Martin Oliner, a board member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council appointed by Trump, launched a scathing attack on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, calling them “inherently evil” and undeserving of “any pity.”

In an op-ed for The Jerusalem Post, Oliner defended the recent remarks by the US president calling for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan. Oliner, who was elected to the council days before the January 6th riot, also serves as president of the Religious Zionists of America, director of the Institute for Cultural Peace, and is a columnist for The Jerusalem Post.

Oliner stated that those concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people should “applaud the president for caring enough to find a positive solution to their current problem.” He further added, “Those like me who don’t believe the Gazans deserve any pity should also welcome it.” He wrote, “Let’s not mince words. The people of Gaza are collectively guilty. The behavior of the people of Gaza proves that they need a detox before reconstruction can begin. They are inherently evil, and they must pay the price for their actions.”

Oliner's remarks drew strong criticism from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), which called for Trump to immediately remove him from his position on the US Holocaust Memorial Council. “Anyone who believes that all children and other members of a population are ‘inherently evil’ and undeserving of ‘pity’ should not hold a position in any organization, whether a private or public entity,” Cair stated. “It is these racist, hate-filled views that have led to crimes against humanity, including genocide in Gaza.”

Last week, a week after a ceasefire in Gaza went into effect, Trump described Gaza as a "demolition site" and said it would be better if "we just cleaned the whole place out." "I would like to have Egypt take these people," Trump said. "You're talking about maybe a million and a half people, and we just clean the whole place out and say, 'You know, it's over.'" Egypt and Jordan, key US allies in the region, have repeatedly rejected Trump’s proposal. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egyptians would take to the streets in protest. "Expelling the Palestinian people from their land is an injustice that we cannot participate in," Sisi said.

However, on Thursday, Trump doubled down on the proposal, saying, "We've done a lot for them, and they'll do it," referring apparently to the substantial aid the US provides to Egypt and Jordan, including military assistance. On Saturday, the foreign ministers and officials of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League said that Trump’s proposal would threaten the stability of the region, exacerbate conflict, and undermine peace prospects. “We reiterate our rejection of [any attempt] to prejudice the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, whether through settlement activity, or displacement or annexation of land, or by emptying the land of its owners,” they said in a joint statement.

Middle East Eye (MEE) contacted the US Holocaust Memorial Council for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.