Republican House candidate and Florida Sen. Randy Fine (R) said last week that progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich., of Palestinian descent) and Ilhan Omar (D-Min., of Somali-Yemeni descent), both Muslims, should consider leaving Congress as he comes in, calling himself the Hebrew Hammer.

“The Hebrew gavel is coming. [Rashida Tlaib] and [Ilhan Omar] may consider leaving before I get there,” Fine, a Jewish lawmaker in the Florida state Senate, wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, and Omar have been vocal supporters of the Palestinians throughout Israel's war on Gaza, which human rights organizations and many countries consider a war of genocide, and which has been ongoing since November 7, 2023, after the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Fine is known for his strong pro-Israel views and has faced backlash for a series of inflammatory statements about the war. When Turkish-American activist Ayse Nur Ezgi Eci was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on September 10, Fine wrote in a post on X: “Throw rocks, get a bullet. One less Muslim terrorist. Shoot them.”

In 2019, Fine described a Jewish voter who championed a forum called “Palestine/Israel, Opening the Dialogue” as a “Judenrat,” a term referring to Jews who collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Fine launched his campaign for the state’s 6th District on Tuesday. The seat is currently held by Rep. Mike Waltz (R), who is leaving the House to serve as President-elect Trump’s national security adviser.

The largest Muslim civil rights group in the United States called on Thursday for additional protection for U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar after Florida Sen. Randy Fine issued an apparent threat against the Muslim lawmakers.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has previously spoken out against Fine's anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim comments, has described the lawmaker as a "bigoted anti-Muslim."

“His clear threat of violence must be investigated by state and federal law enforcement and condemned by both Democratic and Republican leadership,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “President-elect Donald Trump, in particular, must denounce Mr. Fine’s statements and the Florida Republican Party must expel him.”

“We also call on the U.S. Capitol Police to step up protection for Representatives Omar and Tlaib to ensure their safety as they face increasing threats from anti-Muslim bigots and genocide advocates like Randy Fine,” Mitchell said.

Fine was held in contempt of court in Florida earlier this year for making obscene gestures and using profanity during a hearing. He is running in a special election scheduled for April 1, 2025, because Trump has nominated Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as national security adviser.