Biden Warns Against Rise of Antisemitism in America
U.S. President Joe Biden warned against the spread of antisemitism in the United States, including at American universities.
Biden delivered remarks during a commemoration of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, discussing Jewish security, Zionism, freedom, and support for Israel. His speech was delivered at the annual ceremony of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, during which he warned against forgetting the systematic massacre of Jews during World War II.
Biden stated in his remarks: “The fact is there is a danger that people will no longer know the truth.” Referencing the well-known Jewish slogan “Never Again,” he said: “What that means to me is that such an event will never be forgotten, and that also means that we must continue to tell this story and not stop transmitting the truth to the people.”
Referring to the attack by the extremist group Hamas on Israel, the start of the war, and more than seven months into the conflict, the U.S. president described the killing of 1,200 people in the war as the deadliest attacks on Jews since the Holocaust. He added: “This hatred of Jews still lies deep in the hearts of many people around the world, and this requires us to be vigilant and direct. It has not been 75 years, but only seven and a half months, and people are forgetting that Hamas started this terror. I have not forgotten, neither have you, and we will not forget.”
While acknowledging Americans’ right to protest, Biden stated in his speech: “We know that scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to that minority. Antisemitism, hate speech, and threats of violence of any kind have no place at any American university.”
The protests Biden referred to emerged on university campuses as the culmination of America’s political disputes, beginning at Columbia University in New York and rapidly spreading across the United States. Many view these protests as antisemitic, but students and other protesters deny these accusations, calling on universities to sever their financial ties with Israel and to push for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
