Republican senators have criticized President Biden for what they perceive as a stronger focus on pressuring U.S. ally Israel than on condemning anti-Israel and antisemitic riots stemming from protests on college campuses.
During a press conference, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas stated that Biden's recent actions have placed more pressure on Israel than on Hamas or pro-Hamas groups on American campuses. Cotton attributed this to what he described as 'antisemitic elements' within the Democratic Party that have been allowed to grow during Biden's tenure.
Biden has publicly criticized Israel for its actions in response to Hamas attacks, expressing concerns about civilian casualties and threatening to tie U.S. policy towards Israel to minimizing such casualties.
The protests began at Columbia University in New York City and have since spread to other universities, with at least 47 anti-Israel demonstrations reported at the top 50 universities in the U.S.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana suggested that Biden could intervene by threatening universities with federal funding cuts to quell the protests. Kennedy criticized Biden for not taking action, attributing it to fear of alienating the Hamas faction of the Democratic Party.
Sen. Cotton condemned the protests as 'disgusting cesspools of antisemitic hate' and called for Biden to unequivocally denounce the 'Hamas sympathizers' on college campuses.
While the White House has emphasized Biden's stance against antisemitism and violent rhetoric, the president has not directly addressed the protests or indicated federal intervention.
Cotton and other Republican senators called on various government departments to address the escalating protests, including revoking visas for participating students, investigating protest funding sources, and withholding funding from schools that fail to protect the civil rights of Jewish students.
