More Jewish officials rebuke Rep. Randy Fine over tweet comparing Muslims to dogs

JTA — Since assuming office last year, Florida Jewish Rep. Randy Fine has ignited pushback on a regular basis over his comments about Muslims and Palestinians.

This week, anger over a new tweet from the GOP congressman spilled over even further, igniting a wide rebuke from Jews and pro-Israel figures on the other side of the aisle — some of whom are now calling for Fine’s censure or resignation.

The blowback followed Fine’s tweet on Sunday in which he stated, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”

Fine, who positions himself as a staunch warrior for Israel and against antisemitism, claimed he was responding to a tweet by Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of the radical pro-Palestinian activist group Within Our Lifetime. Kiswani had written, “Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.” (Kiswani later said she had intended her tweet as satire, aimed at reports of New York dog owners not picking up their pets’ waste.)

But Fine’s remarks have set off a firestorm, and the blowback is led by many pro-Israel Jews.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America called Fine’s remarks “a disgrace to Congress, an affront to everything America stands for, and antithetical to Jewish values,” and called on Congress to censure him. Democratic Majority for Israel, which focuses on shoring up support for Israel among Democrats, also called Fine’s remarks “vile and indefensible.”

Moderate Jewish Democrats, including Sen. Jacky Rosen and Rep. Dan Goldman, also blasted Fine for his comments.

“This disgusting and dehumanizing rhetoric is unbecoming of any American — especially a Member of Congress,” Rosen tweeted. “Randy Fine should apologize and Speaker Johnson should forcefully condemn this bigotry.”

Goldman, who is fending off a primary challenger in a New York-area district Fine said his tweet was referring to, went even further by calling Fine’s remarks damaging for Jews. He also called for his colleague to be censured and stripped of committee assignments.

“This is not only an unacceptable and revolting Islamophobic comment coming from anyone, much less a member of Congress, but it is incredibly damaging to Jews trying to combat antisemitism and unify against hate of all kinds,” Goldman tweeted.

GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson, Goldman added, “must show some actual leadership by bringing a censure resolution to the floor and stripping @RepFine of his committee assignments. Silence is complicity.” In 2023, Johnson oversaw a censure vote against progressive pro-Palestinian Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her use of the phrase “From the river to the sea.”

Other notable Jews also condemned Fine, including CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who called his comments “disgusting bigotry,” and actor Josh Malina, who called them “vile.” Amos Hochstein, an Israeli-born former Biden and Obama official, called Fine’s comments “reminiscent of German anti Jew rhetoric.”

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a statement late Tuesday, called Fine “a disgrace to the United States Congress.” And California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been positioning himself for a likely 2028 presidential run, was even more direct. “Resign now, you racist slob,” he tweeted at Fine. (Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a frequent Fine critic, said he had made “genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official.”)

Few Republicans have publicly criticized Fine for his remarks. “I appreciate Randy Fine for many things, but I don’t agree with this. We should be respectful to others,” GOP Rep. Don Bacon, of Nebraska, told Axios, before adding, “You need to remember he’s frequently targeted by Code Pink and pro-Hamas types.” Far-right Jewish activist Laura Loomer, meanwhile, has leapt to Fine’s defense.

This is not the first time Fine has faced blowback over his tweets about Muslims. And, as he has been in the past, the congressman was unapologetic. In a series of posts, he defended himself by saying he was standing up for dogs.

“My post was in response to a major Muslim leader saying dogs should be forbidden from New York City because, to some Muslims, it bothers them,” Fine told the far-right network Newsmax. “Well, if they’re going to make us choose between dogs and them going home, the choice is easy.”

Fine’s reelection campaign is currently endorsed by pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC — as is Goldman’s.