Liam Conner
Washington – President Biden is set to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Remembrance Day celebration on Tuesday, where he is expected to condemn a rise in anti-Semitism in the wake of Hamas attack on October 7 about Israel.
Biden “will make clear that during these holy days of remembrance, we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday, adding that he is expected may he “recommit to following the lessons of this dark chapter – never again.”
“He will talk about the horrors of October 7, when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he will talk about how, since October 7th, we have seen an alarming rise in anti-Semitism in the United States, in our cities or communities, and on our campuses.”
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
The remarks come as demonstrations against Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas and its impact on Palestinians in Gaza have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, with protests in American college campuses that emerged across the country. Some of the demonstrations featured anti-Semitic rhetoric that raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students on campuses.
Numerous political leaders have condemned anti-Semitic rhetoric on college campuses in recent weeks. And particularly among Republicans, the issue has become a rallying cry, as they have taken advantage of university presidents’ reluctance to invoke the rhetoric on their campuses. This anger has also shifted to the president himself more recently, as House Speaker Mike Johnson exerted political pressure at Mr. Biden. Johnson is also expected to speak at Tuesday’s event.
Last week, the president addressed the protests on university campuses, saying that “order must prevail”, although he noted that “dissent is essential to democracy”. Despite pressure from Republicans, he told reporters the National Guard should not intervene.
In his remarks Tuesday, Biden is expected to focus on the administration’s efforts to protect American Jews from anti-Semitism. But he will also walk the fine line that authorities have walked in recent weeks in defending Americans’ right to free speech while condemning acts that go too far, putting Jewish students and others in danger.
The remarks come amid a precarious moment in the war in Gaza, after Israel appeared Go straight on Tuesday with an offensive on the densely populated southern city of Rafah as ceasefire talks remain up in the air.
