Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made a bold declaration, promising to revoke the visas of international students who express support for the Hamas terrorist group if he is elected President.
The 45-year-old Republican expressed his outrage at the response of university students to the Israel-Hamas conflict during an event in Iowa.
"Before the blood was even dry on the Israelis who were massacred, you saw people in our own country on college campuses going out and protesting and cheering on Hamas terrorists," DeSantis stated. He further pledged, "Any foreign student on a visa whos out there praising Hamas, when Im president I will cancel their visa and I will send them back to their home country."
DeSantis also voiced his support for businesses refusing to hire students who have expressed anti-Israel sentiments. During an appearance on the Megyn Kelly Show, he expressed concern about the current state of American universities, asking, "What the hell is going on in American universities nowadays?"
This week, an NYU student and several teenagers on the Upper East Side were observed tearing down posters featuring images of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in a surprise attack on October 7. College students have also been seen participating in pro-Palestine rallies, including a Cornell professor who initially expressed exhilaration over the attack before issuing an apology.
DeSantis compared the current situation to World War II, noting that students did not behave in this manner when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He described a "sickness" that has permeated modern college campuses, resulting in a "toxic culture."
The Governor's comments echo those of Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is seeking to expedite a resolution to revoke the visas of foreign citizens residing in the US who support Hamas or its allies. Rubio is urging the Senate to approve deportations for these visa holders.
"America is the most generous nation on earth, but we cannot allow foreign nationals who support terrorist groups like Hamas and march in our streets calling for intifada to enter or stay in our country," Rubio told Fox News.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and former President Donald Trump have also called for similar measures, with Trump suggesting "strong ideological screening of all immigrants" and a potential travel ban.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis and more than 4,300 individuals in the Gaza Strip, with thousands more injured.
This week, two American hostages were released by Hamas and reunited with their family at an Israeli military base. However, more than a dozen Americans remain unaccounted for in the country.
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