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Biden to Condemn Antisemitism 05/07 06:20
President Joe Biden is set to issue a forceful condemnation of antisemitism
during a Tuesday ceremony to remember victims of the Holocaust at a time when
the Hamas attack on Israel and controversy over the war in Gaza have sparked
new waves of violence and hateful rhetoric toward Jews.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden is set to issue a forceful
condemnation of antisemitism during a Tuesday ceremony to remember victims of
the Holocaust at a time when the Hamas attack on Israel and controversy over
the war in Gaza have sparked new waves of violence and hateful rhetoric toward
Jews.
Biden's remarks at the Capitol will play out as pro-Palestinian protests --
some of which have involved antisemitic chants and threats toward Jewish
students and supporters of Israel -- rock college campuses across the country.
Biden has struggled to balance his support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas
attack -- the deadliest day for Jews worldwide since the Holocaust -- with his
efforts to constrain its war on the militant group in Gaza.
"You can expect the president to make clear that during these sacred days of
remembrance, we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the
Holocaust," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday. "And we
recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter. Never again."
Jean-Pierre said Biden would speak to the "horrors" of the Hamas attack, and
how antisemitism is on the rise globally and at home.
"And he will speak to how since October 7th, we've seen an alarming rise in
antisemitism in the U.S. and our cities, our communities and on our campuses,"
she added.
Biden was expected to steer clear of the upcoming presidential election in
his speech. But his address comes as former President Donald Trump has
criticized the incumbent for not doing more to combat antisemitism -- while
ignoring his own long history of rhetoric that invokes the language of Nazi
Germany and plays on stereotypes of Jews in politics.
The Capitol event, hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, will also
feature remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader
Hakeem Jeffries.
The campus protests have posed a political challenge for Biden, whose
coalition has historically relied on younger voters, many of whom are critical
of his public support for Israel.
Jean-Pierre said Biden would "reaffirm" the right to free speech. "But there
is no place on any campus or anywhere for antisemitism," she added. "There is
no place for hate speech or threats of violence against the Jewish people."
In conjunction with Biden's speech, his administration was announcing new
steps to combat antisemitism on colleges campuses and beyond. The Department of
Education's Office of Civil Rights was sending every school district and
college in the nation a letter outlining examples of antisemitism and other
hate that could lead to federal civil rights investigations.
The Department of Homeland Security was moving to educate schools and
community groups about resources and funding available to promote campus safety
and address threats. And the State Department's special envoy to monitor and
combat antisemitism was meeting with technology companies on how to combat the
rise in hateful conflict online.
On Monday, Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the
first Jewish spouse of a nationally elected American leader, met with Jewish
college students at the White House about the administration's efforts to
combat antisemitism. He heard students describe their own experiences with
hatred, including threats of violence and hate speech, his office said.
Trump's campaign on Monday released a video on Yom Hashoah, Israel's
Holocaust remembrance day, that aimed to contrast the 2024 presidential
candidates' responses on antisemitism.
The video shows images of Trump visiting Israel and speeches he has given
pledging to stand with Jewish people and confront antisemitism, while showing
footage of the protests on campuses and clips of Biden responding to protesters
upset with his administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
One of the clips shows Biden saying, "They have a point," but does not
include the next sentence in which Biden said, "We need to get a lot more care
into Gaza."
Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said in response that "President Biden
stands against antisemitism and is committed to the safety of the Jewish
community, and security of Israel -- Donald Trump does not."
___
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this
report.
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