Republicans accuse Biden of putting 'more pressure on Israel' than Hamas amid college riots

Republican senators on Wednesday accused President Biden of being more critical of U.S. ally Israel than the anti-Israel and antisemitic riots that have evolved out of protests on some college campuses across the country.

"Joe Biden is putting more pressure on Israel these days than he is on Hamas itself or on the pro-Hamas chapters on America's campuses," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said during a press conference.

Cotton said this wasn't surprising, citing what he said were "antisemitic elements" of the Democratic Party that have been allowed to "fester and grow for years" under Biden's watch. Biden has notably criticized Israel and let disagreements between the country and the U.S. be known publicly as Israel continues to battle the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

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Biden and his administration's officials have on several occasions stressed concerns about Israel's actions to curb civilian deaths as it fights Hamas. The president even threatened that U.S. policy toward Israel would be dependent on the country minimizing civilian casualties after seven aid workers were recently killed by an Israeli strike.

An encampment protesting Israel's actions initially began at Columbia University in New York City last month, escalating over the course of roughly two weeks with demonstrators ultimately taking over a campus building. After the building was taken over, the university opted to once again call in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), which arrested 108 people, giving each a trespassing summons.

Following the beginning of Columbia's encampment, which gained national media coverage, there have been at least 47 anti-Israel protests