Israel-Palestinian Conflict: What It Might Mean for US Immigrants
by Nathalie Sandoval-Franco
The Israel-Palestinian conflict has claimed thousands of lives on either side of the war; children, women, and men of all ages. The fear and anxiety of another terrorist attack stems from our experience with the one and only terrorist attack on American soil: September 11th, 2001. This attack led to stricter policies on national security and immigration, sparking anti-Muslim feelings in America, as well as politicians using global crises as an opportunity to restrict immigration on the U.S-Mexico border.
Many Republicans like Nikki Haley, a presidential candidate, and a former U.N. ambassador, believe that the border will lead to another terrorist attack on home soil, as according to her, immigration policies are not strict enough and can expose America's weak spot. In a recent interview, Haley claims that it is entirely possible that terrorists could enter America and carry out “another 9/11”, by using the foreign conflict, Haley’s fear-mongering among Republican voters who are already anti-immigration could lead to stricter policies for new immigrants entering, including Palestinian refugees, and those who are already awaiting their residency and citizenship.
The fear of, “what happened to Israel could happen here in America”, takes an international conflict and twists it into an issue of border security, which is a focus point for Republican voters, meaning that candidates like Trump and Haley will be able to secure more votes from people who are concerned about illegal immigration and
Legislation is already being introduced to prevent Palestinian refugees from entering America and receiving visas from the Biden Administration. Representatives Tom Tiffany and Andy Ogles are pushing for the GAZA (Guaranteeing Aggressors Zero Admission) Act to be passed in order to curb Palestinian refugees for the sake of national security and to prevent Hamas terrorists from entering the country, and also claim that the Biden Administration abused their authority by aiding at least ten thousand Afghan refugees earlier, which is what they aim to prevent.
With Republicans drafting and pushing to pass legislation that will impact the influx of at least one million Palestinian refugees, these politicians can then use the Israel-Palestinian conflict to scare voters into believing that terrorism will find its way through the U.S.-Mexico border. These policies will extend the vetting process and make it much more rigorous, impacting other immigrants who are entering, as well as possibly leading to an even more difficult residency and citizenship process for immigrants already in America.
It is outrageous for politicians like Nikki Haley to use the tragedy of the Israel-Palestinian conflict to defend the Republican ideas of restricting immigration on those who are only seeking asylum in a war-torn country. It is cruel and apathetic to claim that all Palestinians are anti-Semitic like Ron DeSantis claims, and it is horrific to deny them entry based on their own biases against where they were born. It is unjust to deny immigrants entry because you do not deem them American. The GAZA Act, regardless of whether or not it passes, highlights the obvious anti-immigration stance Republicans have. The Israel-Palestine conflict has claimed thousands of lives and has displaced even more than that, and to use this as a political strategy to spark fear in American delegates who are already traumatized by a previous terrorist attack is simply disrespectful.
