Current:Home > MyBiden condemns "despicable" acts of antisemitism at Holocaust remembrance ceremony-LoTradeCoin
Biden condemns "despicable" acts of antisemitism at Holocaust remembrance ceremony
View Date:2024-12-24 00:45:32
Washington — In an address marking a Holocaust day of remembrance, President Joe Biden condemned what he called a "ferocious surge" in antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
"During these sacred days of remembrance, we grieve. We give voice to the six million Jews who were systematically targeted, murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II," Mr. Biden said in his address at the Capitol on Tuesday, adding that "we recommit" to heeding the lessons of "one of the darkest chapters in human history to revitalize and realize the responsibility of never again."
The president said the "hatred of Jews didn't begin with Holocaust, and didn't end with the Holocaust either." He added that it continues to lie "deep in the hearts of too many people in the world," and was brought to life on Oct. 7.
"Now, here we are, not 75 years later, but just 7 1/2 months later, and people are already forgetting, they're already forgetting that Hamas released this terror," Mr. Biden said. "I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget."
Since the attack, there's been a "ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world," Mr. Biden said. He said too many people are "denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust."
"It's absolutely despicable and it must stop," the president said.
The remarks come as demonstrations against Israel's ongoing war with Hamas and its toll on Palestinians in Gaza have come to a fever pitch in recent weeks, with protests at American college campuses that have cropped up throughout the country. Some of the demonstrations have featured antisemitic rhetoric that has prompted concerns about the safety of Jewish students on campuses.
Numerous political leaders have condemned antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses in recent weeks. And particularly among Republicans, the issue has become a rallying cry, as they've seized on a reluctance from university presidents to call out the rhetoric on their campuses. That ire has also shifted to the president himself more recently, as House Speaker Mike Johnson has put political pressure on Mr. Biden. Johnson also spoke at Tuesday's event.
"We must protect our Jewish students and we must give our full-throated unequivocal support to the nation of Israel," Johnson said. "This is our moment."
Last week, the president addressed the protests on college campuses, saying "order must prevail," though he noted that "dissent is essential to democracy." Despite pressure from Republicans, he told reporters that the National Guard should not intervene.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Mr. Biden highlighted the administration's efforts to protect Jewish Americans from antisemitism. And he walked a fine line that other officials have been treading in recent weeks of upholding Americans' right to free speech while condemning acts that go too far, putting Jewish students and others in danger.
"In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech," Mr. Biden said. "But there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind."
The remarks come amid a precarious moment in the war in Gaza, after Israel appeared to move forward Tuesday with an offensive in the heavily populated southern city of Rafah, while cease-fire negotiations remain up in the air.
- In:
- Joe Biden
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (861)
Related
- When do new episodes of 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
- Brain cells in a lab dish learn to play Pong — and offer a window onto intelligence
- For stomach pain and other IBS symptoms, new apps can bring relief
- MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Winners: See the Complete List
- Mississippi expects only a small growth in state budget
- Today’s Climate: July 3-4, 2010
- I always avoided family duties. Then my dad had a fall and everything changed
- In Iowa, Candidates Are Talking About Farming’s Climate Change Connections Like No Previous Election
- Rita Ora pays tribute to Liam Payne at MTV Europe Music Awards: 'He brought so much joy'
- 24 Mother’s Day Gifts From Amazon That Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are
Ranking
- Shawn Mendes quest for self-discovery is a quiet triumph: Best songs on 'Shawn' album
- Coming out about my bipolar disorder has led to a new deep sense of community
- Sea Level Rise Damaging More U.S. Bases, Former Top Military Brass Warn
- California’s Methane Leak Passes 100 Days, and Other Sobering Numbers
- 'Treacherous conditions' in NYC: Firefighters battling record number of brush fires
- I always avoided family duties. Then my dad had a fall and everything changed
- MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Winners: See the Complete List
- ALS drug's approval draws cheers from patients, questions from skeptics
Recommendation
-
Kentucky gets early signature win at Champions Classic against Duke | Opinion
-
$80,000 and 5 ER visits: An ectopic pregnancy takes a toll
-
Planned Parenthood mobile clinic will take abortion to red-state borders
-
Medical debt ruined her credit. 'It's like you're being punished for being sick'
-
Olivia Culpo Celebrates Christian McCaffrey's NFL Comeback Alongside Mother-in-Law
-
Warm Arctic? Expect Northeast Blizzards: What 7 Decades of Weather Data Show
-
Colonoscopies save lives. Doctors push back against European study that casts doubt
-
How does air quality affect our health? Doctors explain the potential impacts