The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has removed US Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) from its database of endorsed political candidates, The New Republic reported on Monday. As of early Tuesday morning, a search for Fine’s name using the AIPAC Political Portal does not return any results.
The news comes less than a week after Fine made an X post defending Israel’s starvation campaign against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
“Release the hostages. Until then, starve away,” wrote Fine last Tuesday, responding to an ABC News story describing how fifteen Palestinians, including four children, had died from famine and malnutrition.
The American Jewish Committee denounced Fine’s remarks. “Implying that starvation is a legitimate tactic is unacceptable,” the AJC said in a statement posted on X Wednesday. “All those in need of humanitarian aid should receive it promptly and safely. Our leaders must focus less on scoring political points and more on doing their jobs.”
Fine, who was recently named to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, doubled down on his comments when confronted by Code Pink protesters. “It’s disgusting that you don’t care about these fifty people that are being held hostage,” Fine said.
“You obviously eat well,” Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin said. “What about the people who have no food?”
“I think they should release the hostages,” Fine said.
During a later exchange, Benjamin asked, “Do you pray every day for the children of Gaza, who have no fault in any of this and yet are being victimized by Israel?”
“They’re victimized by their parents,” Fine responded.
On Sunday, Fine quote-tweeted journalist David Collier, who had posted a thread attempting to debunk the claim that Palestinian child Mohammed al-Matouq was suffering from starvation. “There is no starvation,” Fine wrote. “Everything about the ‘Palestinian’ cause is a lie.”
AIPAC has yet to explain why Fine’s name has seemingly been removed from its list of political endorsements. Shortly after being elected, the Florida congressman claimed to have received the group’s “fastest-ever endorsement.” Fine’s 2025 congressional campaign received over $300,000 from AIPAC’s political action committee.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) condemned Fine Monday evening. “A Jewish US Representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful,” she wrote on X. “His awful statement will actually cause more antisemitism.”
Greene also described Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide, making her the first congressional Republican to do so. “It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that [October] 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,” she said.
Fine, a former member of the Florida State Senate, was elected to the US House of Representatives in April. He won the special election to succeed Mike Waltz, who left Congress to serve as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor. Waltz vacated that position in May. Shortly afterwards, Trump nominated him to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations.
