Republican senators on Wednesday accused President Biden of being more critical of U.S. ally Israel than the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic violence that has developed from protests on some college campuses across the country. did.
“Joe Biden has recently put more pressure on Israel than Hamas itself or pro-Hamas branches in the United States,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said at a press conference.
Cotton said this was not surprising, saying “anti-Semitic elements” in the Democratic Party had been allowed to “fester and grow for years” on Biden’s watch. . Biden has been particularly critical of Israel and has made public the differences between Israel and the United States as it continues to fight the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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Sen. Tom Cotton and other Republicans criticized President Biden for his treatment of anti-Israel rioters, arguing that he has given them preferential treatment over U.S. ally Israel. (Getty Images)
Biden and administration officials have repeatedly emphasized concerns about Israeli actions to limit civilian deaths in the fight against Hamas. The president even threatened that U.S. policy toward Israel would depend on the country minimizing civilian casualties after seven aid workers were killed in recent Israeli attacks.
Camps protesting Israel’s actions initially began last month at Columbia University in New York City and escalated over about two weeks, culminating in demonstrators occupying campus buildings. After the building was occupied, the university again chose to call in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), who arrested 108 people and issued citations to each for trespassing.
After the start of the Columbia University camp, which was reported in national media, at least 47 anti-Israel protests occurred at the top 50 universities ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2024.
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Student demonstrators parade with Palestinian flags outside the entrance to Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus on April 30, 2024 in New York City. (AP Photo/Mary Altafer/Pool)
Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) said Biden could “stop this on a dime” if he wanted to, adding that the president has called colleges and universities to threaten federal funding and threaten anarchy. He suggested that there was a possibility that the government would be motivated to quell the demonstrations.
However, referring to Biden, who is 81 years old, he said, “This just shows that older people can do SK.”
Kennedy also pointed to the president’s slumping poll numbers and said Biden is not taking action because he is “deadly afraid of alienating the Hamas faction of the Democratic Party.”
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New York City police officers patrol as anti-Israel demonstrators demonstrate outside the Columbia University campus on April 18, 2024, in New York City. (Peter Garber, Fox News Digital)
Cotton condemned the demonstrations, describing them as “little Gazans rising up on campuses across America.” He also called them “a disgusting cesspool of anti-Semitic hatred filled with pro-Hamas supporters.”
“Fanatics and freaks,” Cotton added.
According to the Arkansas senator, Biden needs to denounce “Hamas campus sympathizers” without “obscuring that Israelis are fighting a just war of survival.”
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“Throughout his life, President Biden has spoken out against offensive, anti-Semitic slurs and violent rhetoric. President Biden has spoken out against other tragic and dangerous We condemn the use of the term ‘intifada’ as it indicates hate speech.” In recent days, President Biden has said that he respects the right to freedom of expression, saying that protests should be peaceful and lawful, that forced occupation of buildings is not peaceful, and that hate speech and symbols are prohibited. It has no place in the United States. ”
President Biden speaks at a campaign event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Philadelphia on April 18, 2024. (Hannah Baier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
However, Biden has not made any direct comments condemning the protests or riots, nor has he suggested any federal action.
Cotton renewed his call for the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Justice, and Education to address the escalating protests and violence. He called for revoking the visas and deporting participating students, investigating the funding behind the protests, and ending funding for schools that “do not protect the civil rights of Jewish students.” asked to do.
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Cotton and Kennedy are joined by Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Rick Scott of Florida, Joni Ernst of Iowa, John Cornyn of Texas and Roger Marshall of Kansas. joined the Republican Party.
The White House had no immediate comment to Fox News Digital.
