US federal judge faces complaint over pro-Israel remarks, alleged anti-Palestinian bias

A US federal judge is facing a formal complaint over anti-Palestinian remarks and alleged ties to anti-Muslim groups, amid growing concerns about pro-Israel bias within the judiciary.

Katherine Giannamore, a Florida lawyer, filed the complaint with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month, accusing Judge Roy Altman of undermining “public confidence in the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the federal judiciary.”

The complaint alleges that Altman used court resources to promote Israel, including appearing on media from his Miami office.

“Since April 2026, Judge Altman has repeatedly engaged in this conduct during work hours, broadcasting live from his chambers and using court staff in public-speaking engagements during official time,” the complaint states. “These activities have occurred nearly daily and spanned several months.”

Keffiyeh called a 'terrorist scarf'

The complaint cites several examples of the judge’s concerning behavior. In April, Altman appeared on a podcast with the Middle East Forum, a right-wing group whose stated mission is to counter “the infrastructure of mainstream Islamism.” During the interview, he referred to the keffiyeh—a cultural symbol of Palestinian identity—as a “terrorist scarf.”

Speaking with Al Jazeera, Giannamore argued that such remarks are deeply troubling. “Abusing the judicial office for political ambitions or personal beliefs is bad for the judiciary, bad for the public perception of the legitimacy of the judicial system.”

She acknowledged that the complaint is unlikely to result in disciplinary action against Altman but said raising the issue is necessary.

Federal judges are appointed for life. Complaints about judicial misconduct are referred to the chief judge of the appeals court, who may dismiss them or appoint a special committee to investigate. In rare cases, a complaint can lead to sanctions, including suspension from case assignments or a recommendation that the judge voluntarily resign.

Altman, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, is a staunch supporter of Israel. He is currently promoting a self-published book defending the US ally.

In an April speech to the Middle East Forum, he said he had lectured at universities and churches to counter allegations of human rights abuses by Israel, which is waging war in Gaza. The judge often used “Jewish” and “Israel” interchangeably in his remarks.

“I say to universities: ‘You think you are countercultural? You think you are cool and edgy for wearing that terrorist scarf, that keffiyeh, and chanting against Jews? Get in line, get a ticket. You are the most mainstream, boring thing history has ever seen,’” Altman said.

That was one of several instances in which the judge disparaged symbols of Palestinian nationalism. He also said on a podcast: “At Yale Law School, in the three years I graduated in 2007, I never saw a single person wearing a keffiyeh. That tells you that at one of the most liberal law schools on the planet, not one student thought it was appropriate to wear a scarf that is a symbol of terrorism and death—the violent death of thousands of innocent Jews.”

Altman is also an active social media user, with most of his posts focused on Israel. In one interview, he declared there is “no difference” between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

Some of his remarks have been viewed as hostile to Arabs and Muslims. In June, he said: “The real geostrategic conflict here is not seven million Jews against six million Palestinians. It is seven million Jews surrounded by two billion Muslims—hundreds of millions of whom are raised to believe that divine will requires them to devote their lives to the destruction of that tiny Jewish state.”

Judge Altman did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment before publication.

Israel trips

It is unusual for a judge to speak publicly on such a divisive political issue. Altman’s activities come as the federal judiciary reviews several cases related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the Trump administration’s efforts to deport student activists protesting the war in Gaza.

Altman has frequently promoted the World Jewish Congress’s travel program that brings judges to Israel—trips similar to those arranged for members of Congress by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

“One of the reasons American judges find trips to Israel so transformative is that in Israel, you can feel our shared Judeo-Christian heritage, our history, our home,” he wrote on social media earlier this month.

According to Giannamore’s complaint, Altman said at Florida International University that he had brought 10 percent of federal judges to Israel on such trips.

The complaint states that the fact that a significant number of judges “return from foreign-funded trips where they meet with foreign political officials is truly frightening.” It also notes that some of these judges may preside over cases involving Israel.

Giannamore argued that bias could develop from “propaganda” trips to Israel, extending beyond issues related to the conflict to cases involving Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims. “It leads to the biases they might be perceived as holding against Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and those who advocate for peace,” she said.

“If 10 percent of the judiciary has been taken on such trips and they are spread across the country, that is a very large number, and I think it ultimately undermines public confidence in one of the branches of government. It is really bad for everyone.”