Marches that block city streets. Protests paralysing university campuses. Incendiary messages dominating social media. These things are happening here, in America, because a foreign terrorist organisation has called for a ‘day of jihad’ and incited violence across the country and overseas.
The demonstrations were shocking. Students waved Taliban flags at a “pro-Palestinian” demonstration at Florida Atlantic University. Hundreds of UCLA students called for an “intifada” as their Jewish classmates walked by. Students at George Washington University held a candlelight vigil for slain Hamas terrorists. And at the University of Pennsylvania, hundreds of students walked out of class chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
This slogan does not advocate a “free Palestine” or a two-state solution. As the Anti-Defamation League notes, “the chant can be understood as a call for a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, an area that includes the state of Israel, implying the dismantling of the Jewish state. It is literally a call for the complete elimination of Israel’s 7 million Jews.
Some of the demonstrators are Americans who’ve never taken shelter from a barrage of terrorist rockets. Others, however, are guests in America. They presumably came to America to enjoy our freedoms, to benefit from our economy, and to escape the dangers at home. But now they are taking to the streets to support foreign terrorists who murder innocent civilians and hate America and the State of Israel.
We have one word for them: LEAVE.
Foreign nationals who support Hamas and its brutality against Israelis and Americans have no place in our great nation. And they certainly don’t have a constitutional right to enter the United States. In fact, their very presence here violates the law.
The Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits the entry of anyone who “supports or advocates terrorist activities, or induces others to support or advocate terrorist activities, or supports a terrorist organisation”. This includes people who defend or support Hamas by calling for an intifada, jihad or similar action to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel.
And let’s not forget what prompted the calls for these anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist demonstrations.
On 7 October, thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed over and through a border fence into southern Israel. They gunned down 260 young people, including Americans, at an open-air dance festival. They stormed small farming communities, raping women, burning babies and slaughtering the elderly. In all, more than 1,400 innocent people have lost their lives and 229 hostages are now being held captive in Gaza. 33 Americans are among the dead, and another 10 remain unaccounted for.
This horror, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, was captured on camera by Hamas. It was celebrated by leaders across the Middle East. Iran said the ‘operation opened a new chapter in the field of resistance and armed operations against the occupiers’. Iraq said the terrorist attack was a “natural outcome” of “systematic oppression”. Qatar said “Israel bears sole responsibility”. Syrian and Lebanese Hezbollah chimed in with enthusiastic additional words of support for Hamas and its actions.
Shocking words, but not surprising.
The real surprise is that these vile words are being echoed by people right here in America, with protests celebrating the worst forms of human brutality. Some will argue that foreigners on visas are protected by our First Amendment. But this is not about free speech. It is about them abiding by the terms of their visa – a voluntary agreement between them and the US government to allow their temporary presence in our great country.
Those who incite violence or support terrorist activity by supporting Hamas, Islamic Jihad and attacks against Jews are violating the terms of their visas and should no longer be welcomed as guests in America. It really is that simple.
And to Americans who support Hamas – think twice. It is your right to think and even say it, but if you act on those feelings by inciting violence or providing material support, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Pennsylvania’s junior senator recently remarked that “America is not sending its best and brightest to Washington, D.C.”. Last week, his Democratic colleagues – including Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) – proved him right by opposing efforts to revoke visas for foreign nationals who support terrorism. This should be an opportunity for us to come together in a time of crisis.
They say politics is a team sport – Republicans in red jerseys and Democrats in blue – but that kind of thinking has all but paralysed Washington. We’re all on Team America. That is common sense. Let us work together to do what is right for this country and act swiftly to deport any foreign nationals who would abuse our freedoms to support and promote the most depraved acts of terrorism.
