Biden calls for fight against anti-Semitism at a precarious moment in Israel’s war in Gaza and amid campus protests

Washington
CNN
—

President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a call to combat the fast-rising tide of anti-Semitism, amid a precarious moment in Israel’s war against Hamas and as protests have swept American college campuses, exposing Biden’s problems with some young voters.

Biden’s long-standing and staunch support for Israel has come under great strain as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows. More than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, despite the president’s efforts to convince Israel to strike a balance between defending itself and preventing the deaths of Palestinian civilians. While ceasefire talks are underway in Cairo and Doha, Qatar, there is now the looming threat of an Israeli military invasion in the Gaza city of Rafah, where many civilians have taken refuge.

Biden delivered a keynote address Tuesday at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the US Capitol, noting that the White House says it will honor the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust and “ will recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter: never again.” again.”

The president addressed the long history of anti-Semitism and issued what a senior administration official familiar with the comments said was a “call to action” in the fight against anti-Semitism. The president plans to address the recent unrest on campus, the official told CNN ahead of the speech, by reiterating that Americans have the right to peacefully demonstrate, but also by addressing anti-Semitic hate speech and actions resulting from this protests arising to be rejected. The protests are not expected to be a major part of the speech, the official added.

Tuesday’s comments amount to a continuation of the White House’s strong condemnation of anti-Semitism throughout the conflict — but come in the context of a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and increasingly vocal protesters at home as Biden tries to challenge a splintering coalition 2024 intact.

The president spoke out strongly against the intensification of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the days following Hamas’s attacks on Israel, saying in an October 19 Oval Office speech that Americans “cannot stand by and remain silent.” Yet in the seven months since the war began, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents have increased significantly.

The latest data from the Anti-Defamation League, which has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents in the US since 1979, shows that the number of incidents increased by 140% between 2022 and 2023, with a “dramatic” increase after October 7. And an ADL report on anti-Semitic attitudes in America in 2024 found that younger Americans are “more likely to endorse anti-Jewish tropes.”

“We are in a moment of crisis for the Jewish community. With anti-Semitism already at historic levels and Jewish students facing a tsunami of hate on campuses across the country, there is no more important time for a full-throated condemnation of anti-Semitism in all forms,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, in a statement. .

In revisiting the Holocaust, the president was expected to draw a line from that point in history to the more recent rise of anti-Semitism in the US, including “how to deal with it forcefully when it raises its head.” , the official said. .

Biden also planned to emphasize the importance of remembering what Hamas did on October 7, arguing that there was denial surrounding the events of that horrific day. However, Biden did not plan to use his Tuesday speech to delve into Middle East policy or the current situation in Israel or Gaza. Biden worked with his core speechwriting team and senior advisers during Tuesday’s speech, providing direct input and language as the draft emerged.

While the president has been steadfast in his condemnations of anti-Semitism, the war in Gaza has made for a politically dangerous topic for Biden and his White House as he also seeks to show empathy for the conditions Palestinians now face in Gaza. The president has faced protests at almost every public event outside the White House in recent months over his support for Israel’s war against Hamas, and his handling of the war has come under intense scrutiny since the days after the Oct. 7 attacks.

The president and his administration now face another potential turning point in the war. The speech came as the Israeli military appealed to residents of the eastern part of Gaza’s Rafah city to “evacuate immediately,” raising questions about whether Israel’s long-threatened attack on the city will be carried out soon – a move which the Biden administration has strongly warned against this.

During nearly seven months of war, more than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israel’s destruction of much of northern Gaza. Biden and his top lieutenants have repeatedly and emphatically made it clear to their Israeli counterparts that they want to see a clear plan to protect civilians before troops enter the area. While National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Biden made this clear again in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, it is not clear that such a plan has been presented to the US.

At the same time, Hamas announced on Monday that it had agreed to a proposed ceasefire brokered by the governments of Qatar and Egypt, although the proposal appeared to represent significant deviations from one brokered with Israeli input. The Israeli government on Monday revised Hamas’ offer but continued operations in Rafah.

The speech also came as the government steps up its response to pro-Palestinian protests over the war that have spread through the country’s colleges and universities, with images of tension and some violence. More than 2,000 people have been arrested on college campuses since April 18.

The president made his most substantive comments on the issue last Thursday, saying he supports the right to protest and freedom of expression, but that “order must prevail.”

“Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, closing campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations – none of this is a peaceful protest,” Biden said. “Threatening people, intimidating people, frightening people is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law.”

When asked by a reporter whether sentiment on campus has caused him to change his views on the conflict, Biden replied emphatically: “No.”

The comments appeared to mark a shift in the government’s response to the protests. A day later, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sent a letter to college and university presidents condemning “abhorrent” incidents of anti-Semitism on campus and highlighting available resources — a move aimed at easing the administration’s public response to the protests to further strengthen.

He cited specific reports from Jewish students of being physically attacked or harassed while walking on campus, anti-Semitic statements including that Jewish students should “go back to Poland,” verbal abuse and swastikas found on dormitory doors.

And on Monday, a day before Biden’s speech, Second Gen. Doug Emhoff hosted a number of Jewish students at the White House for a roundtable discussion. Emhoff, the first Jewish wife of a president or vice president and a leading advocate on the issue, has made tackling anti-Semitism a cornerstone of his portfolio and has reached out to Jewish campus leaders.

Tuesday’s speech was accompanied by a series of new actions the Biden administration is taking to build on its national strategy to counter anti-Semitism, the White House announced in a fact sheet.

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is sending a letter to every school district and college in the country with specific examples of anti-Semitic discrimination that could be investigated under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. There are currently 141 ongoing investigations at colleges and universities under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

The Department of Homeland Security is developing “an online guide to campus safety information” to provide “financial, educational, and technical assistance” to campuses. DHS also develops and shares “best practices for community-based targeted violence and terrorism prevention,” according to the fact sheet.

And the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism “will convene technology companies to identify best practices to address anti-Semitic content online,” the fact sheet said.

Biden’s speech came a day after Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. To mark the day, Biden’s campaign published a long list of former President Donald Trump’s anti-Semitic comments and behavior, including reports that Trump said Adolf Hitler “did some good things.” The speech also was not written to focus on creating a political contrast with Trump, as so many of Biden’s speeches are these days, the senior administration official said.

Still, Biden’s steadfast support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has eroded some of his support among the young voters he needs months before the general election. A poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School found that only 18% of young voters approve of Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas.

CNN’s Dana Bash contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.