Amid college protests and the Gaza war, Biden will condemn current antisemitism

POLITICO

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.
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.
Biden was expected to steer clear of the upcoming presidential election in his speech.
Holocaust Memorial Museum, will also feature remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“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.
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.
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.

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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.

Since October, Biden has had difficulty striking a balance in his support for Israel. Attempting to limit its war on the militant group in Gaza, he launched the 7 Hamas attack, which was the deadliest day for Jews globally since the Holocaust.

“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 pledge again to learn from this troubling chapter. Never again. “.

According to Jean-Pierre, Biden would discuss the “horrors” of the Hamas attack and the rise in domestic and international antisemitism.

He will also discuss the concerning increase in antisemitism in the United States that has occurred since October 7. s. and on our campuses, in our communities, and in our cities,” she continued.

It was anticipated that Biden would not discuss the impending presidential election during 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.

Capitol event, which was organized by the U. s. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Leader, and House Speaker Mike Johnson will also make remarks at the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

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.

Biden would “reaffirm” the right to free speech, according to Jean-Pierre. However, she continued, “antisemitism has no place anywhere, on any campus.”. Hate speech and violent threats against the Jewish people have no place here. “.

Alongside Biden’s speech, his administration was revealing fresh initiatives to tackle antisemitism both on and off college campuses. 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.

In an effort to promote campus safety and counter threats, the Department of Homeland Security was educating community organizations and educational institutions about funding and resource availability. 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.

Meets Jewish college students at the White House to discuss the administration’s antisemitism initiatives. Doug Emhoff is the spouse of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse of a nationally elected American leader. According to his office, he heard students share their personal accounts of encounters with hatred, including hate speech and threats of violence.

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.

In addition to footage of campus protests and clips of Biden responding to demonstrators upset with his administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas, the video features images of Trump visiting Israel and speeches he has given promising to stand with Jewish people and confront antisemitism.

The line “We need to get a lot more care into Gaza” appears in one of the clips, but it is not included in the one where Biden says, “They have a point.”. “.

“President Biden stands against antisemitism and is committed to the safety of the Jewish community and security of Israel — Donald Trump does not,” responded Biden campaign spokesman James Singer.

. “.

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