A fresh proposal from House Republicans aims to mandate that anyone charged and found guilty of engaging in illegal activity on a college campus be sent to Gaza for a minimum of six months.
Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, unveiled the bill on Wednesday, joined by fellow Republican Representatives Randy Weber of Texas and Jeff Duncan of South Carolina. The move comes in reaction to the continued protests against Israel taking place on college campuses throughout the nation.
Some of these protests have escalated into violence, resulting in confrontations between law enforcement and demonstrators, along with the arrest of hundreds of activists on numerous college campuses.
Ogles’ bill text doesn’t explicitly reference Israel or anti-Israel organizations. Instead, it focuses squarely on illegal behavior occurring on college campuses after October 7, 2023, a date marked by the surprise invasion of Israel by Hamas militants, resulting in the tragic loss of over 1,000 lives.
Those found guilty would face a mandatory six-month community service term in Gaza, where Israel is currently engaged in a fierce operation to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of Israelis held hostage by terrorists since October.
“Students have abandoned their classes to harass other students and disrupt campus-wide activities, including university commencement ceremonies nationwide. Enough is enough,” Ogles said.
“That’s why I introduced legislation to send any person convicted of unlawful activity on the campus of an American university since October 7th, 2023, to Gaza to complete a minimum of six months of community service,” he continued.
“If you support a terrorist organization, and you participate in unlawful activity on campuses, you should get a taste of your own medicine. I am going to bet that these pro-Hamas supporters wouldn’t last a day, but let’s give them the opportunity,” Weber added.
The bill is expected to encounter uncertain prospects in the House, given the narrow one-seat majority held by Republicans. Even if it manages to pass through the House, it’s unlikely to gain traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it will likely be disregarded.
It’s an example of the escalating tensions gripping the U.S. amidst Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
The college protests in this area have drawn bipartisan criticism from nearly all Republicans and a substantial portion of Democrats. However, progressives have continued to show strong support for the students and other activists on campus.
For instance, remarks made by Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, labeling certain Jewish students as “pro-genocide,” have prompted a censure resolution led by Republicans, initiated by Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, filed on Tuesday.
Her fellow “Squad” member, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has also been censured for her comments about Israel in the wake of Oct. 7.
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