Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a group of Republican voters in Iowa on Saturday that the United States should not allow Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The GOP presidential contender made his remarks as Israel prepares to move forward with a ground offensive into northern Gaza. The conflict sparked last week when Hamas invaded the country by attacking towns and holding civilians hostage.
DeSantis cited antismitism as reasoning for not letting refugees enter the US, claiming they do not believe Israel has the right to exist.
“I don’t know what [President] Biden’s gonna do, but we cannot accept people from Gaza into this country as refugees,” DeSantis at a campaign stop in Iowa, according to a video posted online.
“I am not going to do that,” he continued. “If you look at how they behave, not all of them are Hamas, but they are all antisemitic. None of them believe in Israel’s right to exist.”
DeSantis noted that the nearby countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt should be housing the refugees
“The Arab States should be taking them if you have refugees,” he concluded. “You don’t fly people and import them into the United States of America.”
The Florida governor authorized an order earlier this week giving the greenlight to rescue Floridians in Israel stuck in the conflict.