Democratic congressman likens Jewish settlers in the West Bank to 'termites' invading homes

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) came under fire for comments he made comparing Jewish people to termites.

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 25 July 2016

In a heated discussion Monday at an event sponsored by the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) compared Jewish Israelis' settlement of the West Bank to termites' quiet destruction of homes. "There has been a steady [stream] — almost like termites can get into a residence and eat before you know that you've been eaten up, and you fall in on yourself — there has been settlement activity that has marched forward with impunity and at an ever-increasing rate to the point where it has become alarming," Johnson reportedly told the group. The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation advocates boycotting Israel.

Johnson also suggested "'Jewish people' routinely steal land and property from Palestinians," The Washington Free Beacon wrote. "You see one home after another being appropriated by Jewish people who come in to claim that land just because somebody did not spend the night there," Johnson said. "The home their [Palestinian] ancestors lived in for generations becomes an Israeli home and a flag goes up."