Pence was in Jerusalem on Monday, expressing his full-throated support for Israel in a speech to parliament filled with biblical references.

The plight of Palestinians uprooted by Israeli-Arab wars is one of the world's longest-running refugee crises, and a solution for millions of refugees and their descendants appears distant.

Many of the 5 million Syrian refugees who scratch out a living in overwhelmed neighboring states such as Jordan aren't necessarily candidates for a rare slot in the resettlement program. Instead, priority is given to the most vulnerable.

The international community must eventually relocate the more than 60,000 Syrians trapped in the remote desert near the border to safe countries, said Doctors Without Borders, adding that Jordan cannot be expected to shoulder the responsibility alone.