A federal judge in the United States is facing a formal complaint over anti-Palestinian comments and alleged association with Islamophobic groups, in a case that highlights growing concern about possible pro-Israel bias in the judicial system. Florida lawyer Katherine Giannamore filed the judicial complaint against District Judge Roy Altman earlier this month, accusing him of eroding “public confidence in the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the federal judiciary”. The complaint, filed with the Eleventh Circuit Court, also says Altman used judicial resources to promote Israel, including by making media appearances from his chambers in Miami.
In April, for instance, Judge Altman appeared on a podcast with the Middle East Forum, a right-wing group whose stated mission is to combat “the infrastructure of lawful Islamism”. During the interview, he called the keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian identity, a “terrorism scarf”. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Giannamore pointed to such remarks as a reason for concern.
It’s bad for public opinion as far as the legitimacy of the judiciary,” Giannamore said. She acknowledged that the complaint is unlikely to lead to a reprimand against Altman, but she said it was important to raise the issue. Federal judges are appointed for life.
Judicial misconduct complaints go to the chief judge of a court of appeals, who can either dismiss them or appoint a special committee to investigate the claims. In rare cases, the complaints can lead to sanctions, including the decision to suspend case assignments to a given judge or a request for voluntary resignation. Giannamore believes complaints like hers can help spark a discussion about acceptable behaviour within the judicial system, particularly for lifelong office-holders.
Is this something that we accept? And would we accept it if it was other issues that a judge was using the office to speak on?'” Giannamore said. Altman, a staunch supporter of Israel who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, is currently promoting a self-published book defending the US ally.
During his remarks with the Middle East Forum in April, he explained that he had been touring college campuses and churches to dismiss accusations of rights abuses against Israel, which has been carrying out a genocidal war on Gaza. The judge uses “Jews” and “Israel” interchangeably throughout his talks. You think you’re cool and unique because you wear the terrorism scarf, the keffiyeh, and you chant against the Jews?
Extract — continue reading at the source.
