Expelling Democrats Over Israel Remarks Is 'Dangerous' Game: Lawyer

Calls from Republicans to have certain Democrats expelled from Congress over their Israel remarks is a "dangerous" path, according to lawyer and legal analyst Jonathan Turley.

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history, with Israel subsequently launching its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza in response. As of Monday, over 1,400 people in Israel have died, the Associated Press reported, in addition to more than 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is "at war" and has cut off food, fuel, electricity, and medicine supplies to Gaza. Israel has called up 360,000 army reservists as it prepares for a likely ground offensive into the territory, which has an estimated population of around 2.3 million.

The situation has drawn an outpouring of divided reactions worldwide, with public figures of all kinds voicing support for Israel, Gaza, or both. Some reactions from Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. have drawn heated scrutiny from their Republican counterparts, who have accused them of being anti-Israel. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said supporters of Israel were on the side of "occupation" and Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington called Israel a "racist state." Despite GOP pushback, such criticisms of the Israeli government, its human rights record, and its specific treatment of Palestinians in Gaza are common, even among the Israeli people themselves.

Nevertheless, some Republicans, like Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, have voiced support for expelling these Democrats from Congress. Writing in an op-ed on his personal site Sunday, Turley, a constitutional law expert who has frequently been aligned with conservative causes in the past, called the possibility of expelling these lawmakers over their comments "the ultimate manifestation" of the current polarized political climate.

"Expulsion and disqualification have come into vogue in Washington as members of both parties seek to bar opponents from ballots or office," Turley wrote. "It is the ultimate manifestation of our age of rage where expressing opposing views are now considered disqualifying acts for holding office."

A Fox News contributor, Turley has in the past worked in support of conservative political goals. In 2014, he represented Republicans in a lawsuit filed against the Obama administration, arguing that it had overstepped its authority in implementing certain parts of the Affordable Care Act. He also testified against the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump, arguing that the evidence of his misdeeds was insufficient.

Writing further on Sunday, Turley called the notion of expelling certain Democrats over their Israel remarks "a dangerous, slippery slope" and argued that any repercussions for them should be left up to voters.

"Expulsion and disqualification demands are both based on the same view that political support for extreme or controversial positions should not be tolerated in members of Congress," Turley continued. "It is a dangerous, slippery slope as politicians declare certain views as incompatible with holding elected offices...Free speech is often the first victim in an age of rage. There is a solution to those who you believe are unworthy for office. It arises every two years as citizens go to the polls to elect their representatives."

Newsweek reached out to Scott's office via email for comment.

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