Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, Trump’s original pick for Attorney General, picked up on the story of Israeli settlers in the West Bank beating American citizen Saif Musallet to death. On July 16, Gaetz’s account ran on One America News Network. He titled his post: “HOW MANY AMERICANS DO ISRAELI SETTLERS HAVE TO KILL BEFORE WE CARE?”
Gaetz argued: “The truth is, this isn’t an isolated tragedy. It’s part of a pattern of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian communities that include the torching of homes, farms, and lives, all while protected by Israeli forces who are funded by U.S. tax dollars. That’s not even the most troubling part. Israel rarely holds these killers accountable. There have been eight unsolved killings of American citizens just since 2022.” (Not all of the killings are laid at the doorstep of the settlers, as some have the IDF on the trigger side of the gun.)
The Times of Israel finds that OANN’s decision to run the Gaetz account is indicative of a shift amongst a camp of MAGA Republicans that have gradually become more critical of Israel.
