After President Joe Biden proposed that the U.S. accept Palestinian refugees displaced in Gaza, 34 Republican Senators joined together to oppose this initiative, calling it a security threat. The Senators sent a letter to the White House expressing their grave concerns about the proposal. Top GOP leaders spearheaded the letter to Biden.
GOP Leaders Spearhead Opposition
The 34 Republican Senators opposed to accepting Palestinian refugees are led by some of the top GOP leaders in Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Joni Ernst, a combat veteran and military officer, as well as the third highest-ranking Republican in the Senate.
Political Context
The contention over the admission of Palestinian refugees into America could be another point of leverage Republicans use against Biden in the upcoming election, as the GOP contingent critical of Biden’s move resonates with many Americans distrustful of terrorists from the Middle East using political opportunism to invade the United States.
Biden’s Support for Israel
Republicans also see President Biden as pandering to discontented Democrats who are upset with Biden for his perceived softness toward Israel in its military missions in Palestine. They may argue that Biden wants to play both sides of the conflict and downplay support for Israel by courting the Palestinian sympathizers by bringing in refugees.
Republican Critique on Israel’s Defense
Zionists and pro-Israel voters claim that Biden has not done enough for Israel in supporting its right to defend itself from terrorists who do not believe in Israel’s right to exist. Hamas initiated the first attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, where over 1,000 Israelis died, and hundreds were taken hostage and have yet to be released.
Prioritization of American Hostages
In their letter, the GOP senators state that the Biden Administration should focus efforts first on securing the safe return of American hostages being held by Hamas. They also express serious national security concerns about resettling Palestinian refugees domestically.
National Security Concerns
In terms of national security, the GOP Senators, led by McConnell and Ernst, are specifically concerned that Hamas and other terrorists may try to infiltrate the United States through the refugee resettlement program. Similar scenarios have happened in the past in the United States, with terrorists being intercepted at U.S. border checkpoints.
Hamas and Civilian Evacuations
The White House has stated that there are significant difficulties preventing terrorists from going undercover as civilians during ceasefires to access medical treatment abroad or to escape. It is impossible to ensure the same will not occur when entering the United States through a resettlement program.
Public Opinion in Gaza
Another security concern regards the fact that many Palestinians in Gaza support and have a positive association with Hamas. More than a quarter of Palestinians allegedly support Hamas. With this being the case, the Republican Senators opposed to Palestinian refugee resettlement in the United States question whether it will be possible to vet refugees considering the widespread associations and affiliations with terrorists.
Declining Support for Hamas
While up to 34% of Palestinians may report supporting Hamas, some say that the GOP Letter to President Biden does not adequately reflect a decline in the recent Gazan support for Hamas. They allege that the declining support for Hamas is due in large part to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
External Criticism
With the divide between parties so stark and entrenched on this topic, it is likely to turn into a hot-button issue in the months leading up to the November election. Topics that touch on national security, fear, threat, terrorism, and infiltration have the makings of salient issues that can be politicized to increase voter turnout and support at the polls. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump and other lawmakers have already weighed in on the plan, criticizing the refugee resettlement of Palestinians in the United States as a security threat.
Media and Public Figures React
Former Trump Press Secretary and current political commentator Kayleigh McEnany has questioned Biden’s consideration of this topic in the first place, predicting only negative consequences for Biden when Americans turn out to vote in November. It is unlikely to be a popular policy nationally.
Congressional Opposition
Florida Republican Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) has also lambasted Biden’s plan to bring refugees from Gaza into the United States. He claimed, “The latest in Joe Biden’s America Last agenda is an absurd scheme to bring into our country the people who cheered as Americans and Israelis were killed, beaten, raped, and taken hostage on October 7. These are the same people who elected Hamas as their government. These are people who live next to Egypt, yet Egypt finds them too much of a national security risk to let into their country.”
Biden’s Response to Criticism
Biden has not yet responded to the letter sent by the Republican Senators. The ensuing debate over a program to admit Palestinian refugees to the United States could quickly become a defining moment for the 2024 Presidential Election.
