'Didn't see you complaining about Ukrainians': Ron DeSantis shredded for Gaza refugee comment
CRESTON, IOWA: In a polarizing statement on Saturday, October 14, 2023, presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis insisted that the United States should reject the idea of accepting refugees from Gaza, asserting that they are "all antisemitic".
DeSantis made these comments at a gathering in Creston, Iowa, sparking a wave of discussions surrounding the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
The Israeli military recently issued orders for Gazans living in the northern areas of the territory to relocate to the southern regions, in anticipation of a possible ground invasion.
Gaza, one of the most densely populated regions globally, is home to around two million people, half of whom are minors.
The ongoing conflict has left these individuals trapped within the enclave, as both Israel and Egypt have closed their borders, leading to diplomatic disputes about allowing Gazans to exit the region.
Ron DeSantis faces backlash over stance
DeSantis's stance against welcoming Gaza refugees into the United States sparked a strong reaction. "I don't know what Biden is going to do, but we cannot accept people from Gaza into this country as refugees," he argued on Saturday.
"I am not going to do that. If you look at how they behave, not all of them are Hamas, but they are all anti-Semitic. None of them believe in Israel's right to exist. None of the Arab states are willing to take any of them. The Arab state should be taking them. You don't fly people and import them into the United States of America," the presidential hopeful added.
Creston, IA — DeSantis says that the US “cannot accept people from Gaza into this country as refugees.”
— Veronica Stracqualursi (@VeronicaStrac) October 14, 2023
“I am not going to do that. If you look at how they behave, not all of them are Hamas, but they are all anti-Semitic. None of them believe in Israel's right to exist.” pic.twitter.com/VKNPTIzEk7
The governor's comments immediately garnered a flurry of responses on social media platforms, with many questioning the basis for his claims. Some users pointed out that it is impossible to gauge refugees' views before admitting them, while others raised the issue of accepting Ukrainian refugees without similar concerns.
"But how do you know what their views are do they submit an autobiography before entering?" one posted on X.
"You weren’t complaining when we allowed Ukrainians in," another wrote.
"I hanged with a lot of Iranians here at UT Austin. None of them were anti-semitic. So did they give up their anti-semitic view when they came here or is this statement exaggerated?" a comment read.
"Rod won’t accept anyone who has brown skin into this country. In his tiny mind, Palestinians are equivalent to Mexicans and Central Americans," someone else chimed in.
"Xenophobic little man," another added.
But how do you know what there views are do they submit an autobiography before entering?
— Coolbreez (@CoolBreezz0) October 14, 2023
I hanged with a lot of Iranians here at UT Austin. None of them were anti-semitic. So did they give up their anti-semitic view when they came here or is this statement exaggerated?
— Anna Nyulund (@A_Nyulund) October 14, 2023
Rod won’t accept anyone who has brown skin into this country. In his tiny mind, Palestinians are equivalent to Mexicans and Central Americans.
— Susan Becraft 🐈🐕🦮 (@AliceTinker1943) October 14, 2023
And the Nazis freely parading around the state he purportedly governs just might be a tad anti-Semitic?
While the controversy around DeSantis's remarks continues to grow, it is essential to understand the context of Palestinian refugees worldwide.
According to data from 2021 provided by the Washington DC-based think tank Arab Center, of the seven million Palestinians living outside of their territory, 6.3 million reside in Arab countries.
Jordan hosts the largest Palestinian population outside of their homeland, followed by Israel, Syria, and Chile. Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt also have substantial Palestinian communities, far larger than the Palestinian population in the United States, which is estimated at around 170,000 according to census data.
In contrast to DeSantis, Jamaal Bowman, a Democratic congressman representing New York, advocated for the United States to open its doors to Palestinian refugees while ensuring careful vetting to exclude members of Hamas.
"Fifty percent of the population in Gaza are children. The international community as well as the United States should be prepared to welcome refugees from Palestine while being very careful to vet and not allow members of Hamas," he insisted.
Republican senators' opposition to resettlement
The debate over Gaza refugee resettlement has not been limited to politicians. Multiple Republican senators, including Marco Rubio, have expressed their opposition to the idea of admitting refugees into the United States.
"The US is the most generous nation in the world, but we are in no position to accept additional refugees, especially from a region with as high a risk of terrorism, given our nation's inability to secure our own border or vet those who are already here," Rubio told the New York Post.
Rick Scott, Florida's other senator, emphasized the importance of focusing on rescuing American hostages and supporting Israel in its defense against Iran-backed Hamas.
"The entire focus of the United States right now should be on rescuing American hostages, and making sure that Israel has every resource needed to defeat Iran-backed Hamas and defend its homeland," he said.
Meanwhile, Tom Cotton of Arkansas suggested that Iran, responsible for the proxy war with Israel, should bear responsibility for Palestinian refugees.
"Iran should take responsibility for any Palestinian refugees caused by its proxy war with Israel. Iran is responsible for the death and destruction - it should be responsible for refugees as well," he offered.
White House's unclear stance
The White House's stance on accepting Gaza refugees remains unclear. "We continue to provide support to Palestinian refugees through the UN," a spokesman stated, adding, "The United States also has a worldwide refugee resettlement program in partnership with The UN Refugee Agency."
However, they did not explicitly state whether the United States would be open to accepting refugees from the ongoing Israeli-Gaza conflict.
The conflict in Gaza, marked by a recent terror attack launched by Hamas, has had devastating consequences.
Israeli sources report 1,300 casualties, while Palestinian officials claim more than 2,215 individuals killed and over 8,714 injured in Gaza since the conflict began.