AOC Condemns DeSantis’ Labeling Of Palestinians As ‘Anti-Semitic’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has garnered both support and criticism for his strong stance on not allowing Palestinian refugees from Gaza into the United States in the wake of a series of unprecedented terror attacks by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, which left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and over 3,000 injured last week.

One of his loudest criticisms comes from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who said in a CNN interview on Monday night that Israel should exercise restraint in responding to the attack, despite the casualties it suffered.

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that Arab nations’ reluctance to accept Palestinian refugees should not deter the United States from its historic role of accepting refugees and providing them with an opportunity to restart their lives on American soil.

Addressing DeSantis’s statement that “all Gazans are anti-Semitic,” Ocasio-Cortez found fault with this sweeping generalization. She characterized his rhetoric as “incredibly destructive and dangerous,” asserting that it should not be amplified by any leader in the United States of America.

At a rally in Iowa, DeSantis addressed his supporters, stating, “I don’t know what Biden’s gonna do, but we cannot accept people from Gaza into this country as refugees. 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.”

DeSantis argued that responsibility for Palestinian refugees should fall on the Arab states, as he emphasized, “none of the Arab states are willing to take any of them.” This assertion raises questions about the role of the international community in assisting Palestinian Arabs in need.

DeSantis’ statements echo the general view on the right, as many Republicans, including Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) have stood against the idea of U.S. taking in refugees from Gaza while the nation battles an influx of illegal migrants coming in through its border.

“We should NOT take in 1 million refugees from Gaza—a region prone to terrorism and anti-semitism. Where is the focus on our own southern border?” Biggs said on Twitter.

We should NOT take in 1 million refugees from Gaza—a region prone to terrorism and anti-semitism.

Where is the focus on our own southern border?

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) October 14, 2023