OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:15 PM – Wednesday, May 1, 2024
According to internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News, the Biden administration is considering admitting some Palestinians into the U.S. as refugees, providing a permanent haven for those escaping war-torn Gaza.
The documents stated that senior officials from a number of federal U.S. agencies have held discussions in recent weeks regarding the viability of various options for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza who have family members that are citizens or residents of the United States.
Officials claim that coordination with Egypt would be necessary for the plans, as it has thus far declined to accept a sizable influx of Gaza residents.
A path to American citizenship, permanent residency, and resettlement advantages, like housing assistance, are among the privileges that come with having refugee status, which entitles holders to travel to the country upon passing eligibility, medical, and security checks.
A White House spokesman said in a statement to CBS News late on Tuesday night that the U.S. “has helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, many of whom have come to the United States. At President Biden’s direction, we have also helped, and will continue to help, some particularly vulnerable individuals, such as children with serious health problems and children who were receiving treatment for cancer, get out of harm’s way and receive care at nearby hospitals in the region.”
“[The U.S.] categorically rejects any actions leading to the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza. The best path forward is to achieve a sustainable cease-fire through a hostage deal that will stabilize the situation and pave the way to a two-state solution,” it continued.
The plans to relocate some Palestinians as refugees would represent a change in the long-standing practices and policies of the U.S. government.
In the last ten years, the United States has taken in over 400,000 refugees worldwide who maintained that they were escaping conflict and violence. However, there were fewer than 600 Palestinians included in that demographic. According to State Department statistics, the United States admitted 56 Palestinian refugees in fiscal year 2023, representing 0.09% of the over 60,000 refugees relocated during that 12-month period.
Even though the decision would be supported by many Democrats, accepting Palestinians as refugees would present the Biden administration with even more political difficulties in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The issue has already split communities across the U.S., spurred large-scale protests on college campuses, and revealed divisions within the Democrat Party.
Those who want to enter the United States as refugees must demonstrate that they are being persecuted due to their nationality, religion, or political beliefs, among other reasons. While a small percentage of Palestinians could claim they are escaping Hamas persecution, many others would name Israel’s military and government—a major ally and recipient of U.S. assistance—as their persecutors.
Leading Republican officials have maintained that the United States should not accept Palestinian refugees, arguing that the majority of them are anti-Semitic and could very easily pose a threat to national security.
“According to the [PCPRS] poll, only seven percent of Gazans blamed Hamas for their suffering. Seventy-one percent of all Palestinians supported Hamas’s decision to attack Israel on October 7—up 14 points among Gazans and down 11 points among West Bank Palestinians compared to three months ago. Fifty-nine percent of all Palestinians thought Hamas should rule Gaza, and 70 percent were satisfied with the role Hamas has played during the war,” the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) reported.
The Biden administration has significantly increased refugee resettlement into the U.S. after former President Donald Trump cut it down to all-time lows during his time in office. Trump had put more emphasis on helping American citizens first before foreigners.
Meanwhile, retired former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Ryan Crocker, gave a statement to Politico, explaining that no other Arab nations would likely be open to taking in Palestinian refugees.
“[Palestinians] would have nowhere in the Arab world to go, says former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. In truth, nearly every Arab state has long viewed the Palestinians with ‘fear and loathing,’ Crocker says. This is especially true of Egypt, which will continue to refuse to admit Palestinians from across the border,” Politico reported.
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