Biden urges combating antisemitism during Israel's fragile conflict with Gaza, as university demonstrations occur.
The ongoing support of President Biden towards Israel is being challenged as the severe crisis in Gaza continues. Over 34,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza since October 7, despite efforts by the president to persuade Israel to balance its defense with preventing civilian deaths. As ceasefire discussions are currently underway in Doha, Qatar, the Muslim world now faces the prospect of an Israeli military invasion into Rafah, a city in Gazagraded by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, which has become a shelter for many civilians.
President Biden will address the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual Days of Remembrance on Tuesday at the US Capitol. His remarks, according to the White House, will honor the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and reaffirm the commitment to this grim lesson: "never again".
The President is also expected to comment on the "troubling increase in anti-Semitism" in the United States during his speech.
This speech is a continuation of the White House's strong denouncement of anti-Semitism throughout the ongoing conflict, but is being delivered against the background of an extremely concerning situation in Gaza. In addition, as Biden works to maintain a fragmented 2024 coalition together, there is increasing opposition to the President's stance on this ongoing crisis at home.
The President made a forceful statement against the intensifying anti-Semitism and Islamophobia after the Hamas strikes on Israel. However, in the seven months since this conflict started, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents have inflated and have become more pronounced.
The latest data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents in the US since 1979, found a 140% increase in incidents from 2022 to 2023, with a "dramatic" rise occurring after October 7. Additionally, the ADL's report on anti-Semitic attitudes in the US in 2024 reveals that younger Americans are "more likely to endorse anti-Jewish tropes".
"We are in a critical moment for the Jewish community," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, stated in a release. "With anti-Semitism already at historic levels and Jewish students facing a torrent of hate on campuses across the country, there's no more crucial time for a passionate condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms."
Biden has been firm in his denunciation of anti-Semitism, however, the ongoing war in Gaza has been a delicate topic for both the President and his administration, as they try to express empathy for the challenging circumstances faced by Palestinians in Gaza. The President has faced protests at almost every public event outside the White House in recent months for his support of Israel's war against Hamas, and his handling of the war has been under intense criticism since the attacks on October 7.
The White House and Biden now face a new potential turning point in this war. The speech coincides with Israel's military ordering residents of Rafah to evacuate, raising questions about whether Israel's long-feared attack on this city will soon take place. The Biden administration has actively discouraged this impending Israeli move.
Since the start of the war in July 2023, over a million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israel's devastation of much of northern Gaza. The President and his aides have continued to express their desire to see a clear plan to safeguard civilians before any troops enter the area. While National Security Council spokesman John Kirby informed reporters about this request during a Monday conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is not certain this plan has been demonstrated to the US.
In tandem, Hamas declared on Monday that they had accepted a ceasefire proposal sponsored by the Qatari and Egyptian governments, albeit one with several significant departures from a plan that had been formed with Israeli input. The Israeli government is reviewing Hamas' proposal; however, they have continued operations in Rafah.
The speech is also being given as the administration ramps up its response to pro-Palestinian protests over the war that have erupted across college and university campuses across the nation. More than 2,000 people have been apprehended on college and university campuses since April 18.
The President addressed this issue most comprehensively last Thursday, saying he supports the right to protest and freedom of speech, but "order must prevail".
"Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations - none of this is a peaceful protest," Biden stated. "Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law."
The anticipated speech is expected to restate the President's stance on the right to free speech but emphasize that "there's no room for anti-Semitism."
The comments from officials seem to signal a change in how the administration is handling the protests. The next day, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona penned a letter to college and university principals, criticizing "despicable" acts of anti-Semitism on campus and emphasizing available resources – a move intended to enhance the administration's public reaction to the demonstrations.
He cited specific instances reported by Jewish students of being assaulted or harassed while walking on campus, anti-Semitic phrases, such as telling Jewish students to "return to Poland," verbal insults, and swastikas found on dorm room doors.
On Monday, a day prior to Biden's speech, second gentleman Doug Emhoff held a roundtable with some Jewish students at the White House. Emhoff, who is the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president and has been a prominent advocate on the issue, has made addressing anti-Semitism a priority in his portfolio and has reached out to Jewish campus leaders.
The speech coincides with a series of new actions the Biden administration is taking to reinforce its national strategy to combat anti-Semitism, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.
The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is mailing a letter to every school district and college in the country, offering concrete instances of anti-Semitic discrimination that might be probed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Currently, there are 141 ongoing investigations into colleges and universities under Title VI, which forbids discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving government financial assistance.
The Department of Homeland Security is working on "developing an online campus safety resource guide" to offer "financial, educational, and technical help" for campuses. DHS is also creating and sharing "best practices for community-based targeted violence and terrorism prevention," according to the fact sheet.
Furthermore, the State Department's Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism will bring together technology businesses to identify ways to fight anti-Semitic content online, the fact sheet revealed.
Biden delivered his address one day after Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. To commemorate the day, Biden's campaign issued a comprehensive list of former President Trump's anti-Semitic remarks and actions, including claims that Trump has allegedly stated that Adolf Hitler "achieved some good things."
Even so, Biden's constant support for Israel's military attacks against Gaza has weakened his support among the younger voters critical to him before the general election. A poll conducted by the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School discovered that only 18% of young voters approve of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas confrontation.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
