Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday pledged support for Israel and vowed to root out antisemitism in the U.S., saying they would cancel visas of foreign students who supported Hamas and punish colleges that allow hate to fester.
The five candidates in the third GOP presidential debate competed to show they could be the toughest on Iran, demanding a stiffer response to attacks on U.S. military installations around the globe that have been attributed to the Islamic Republic.
“To all the students on visas who are encouraging Jewish genocide, I would deport you,” said Sen. Tim Scott.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s already acted in his state, canceling a pro-Palestinian student group that had been operating on college campuses.
Vivek Ramaswamy, though, cautioned against a censorship approach, saying it risked a backlash. He said the answer is confronting the students.
“These kids, they have no idea what the heck they’re even talking about when they’re siding with Hamas over Israel. They’re fools,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Ramaswamy calls for RNC chair to resign during debate
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the protesters may not even realize the implications of backing Hamas.
“Hamas said ‘death to Israel’ and ‘death to America.’ They hate and would kill you too,” she said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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