Staff Reports
President Biden is set to give a speech at a Holocaust memorial ceremony at Capitol Hill, the White House recently announced. This comes amid unrest and protests against Israel across college campuses and the political scene in the U.S. The upcoming speech will mark a rare occasion for Mr. Biden to address the issue, as he has been relatively quiet about the anti-Israel demonstrations.
Biden to deliver speech on antisemitism at Holocaust memorial ceremonyhttps://t.co/UpeSKDuAOP pic.twitter.com/rO9BAqik0V
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 2, 2024
The President is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Days of Remembrance, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. During the speech, Mr. Biden will discuss the moral obligation to combat the rise of antisemitism, as well as highlight the measures his administration has implemented to confront issues facing the Jewish community.
After a recent terror attack on Israel by Hamas, Mr. Biden made strong statements condemning antisemitism, but he has refrained from addressing the anti-Israel protests on college campuses. While acknowledging that some protesters’ actions were antisemitic, he also expressed empathy for their perspective by voicing concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following Israel’s military actions.
Despite escalating violence at UCLA, and instances of demonstrators at Columbia University forcefully taking over a building, Mr. Biden has not publicly addressed the campus protests against Israel. The Biden administration has taken action to address the surge in antisemitic incidents following the terror attack, including measures to track hate-related threats on college campuses.
In response to criticism regarding Mr. Biden’s silence on the anti-Israel protests, Ms. Jean-Pierre emphasized the administration’s extensive efforts to combat antisemitism. She stressed that the President has not been silent on the issue and highlighted the numerous actions taken by the administration to address antisemitism. Additionally, she noted the administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of students and communities, and emphasized condemning hateful speech.
