Biden Warns Against Antisemitism in Holocaust Remembrance Day Speech

Facts

  • Pres. Joe Biden warned against the threat of antisemitism in the US, and reaffirmed his support for Israel amid its polarizing campaign in Gaza during a speech delivered Tuesday at the Capitol's Emancipation Hall.1
  • The president also denounced the Hamas Oct. 7 attack and called for students protesting the war in Gaza to refrain from antisemitism, hate speech, and threats of violence of any kind.2
  • These remarks — part of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony in honor of victims of the Nazis — come as college campus demonstrations have ramped up across the US.3
  • According to a survey published by Axios earlier this week, however, only a small minority (8%) of college students have participated in either side of the protests.4
  • Biden further declared that America and the world have seen a 'ferocious surge' of antisemitism since the war started, with the White House directing new actions to fight antisemitism and other forms of hate speech.5
  • Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a law that would require colleges to enforce a specific definition of antisemitism on college campuses. Between 2021 and 2022, the FBI reported a 36% increase in anti-Jewish hate incidents1

Sources: 1Reuters.com, 2New York Times, 3CBS, 4Axios and 5ABC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by CNN. Pres. Biden has demonstrated great leadership in the face of political pushback by the misinformed masses, and his speech against antisemitism reaffirms US support for the Jewish people. Virulent antisemitic tropes have resurfaced since Oct. 7, and Israel is being smeared as a genocidal nation for defending itself following the brutal attack. While some young people on college campuses may not understand the gravity of their anti-Jewish rhetoric, Biden and other US leaders understand that antisemitism has no place in America.
  • Narrative B, as provided by CounterPunch. Joe Biden continues to bow down to Israel and shamelessly label Pro-Palestine protests as 'antisemitic.' There's nothing hateful about peacefully opposing Israel's genocide that has killed roughly 40K Palestinians in seven months. Young voters who have historically backed the Democratic Party cannot continue to do so, and many people are realizing the Zionist grip on both parties. Shame on Biden for demonizing protesters, and shame on the US for sponsoring genocide.

Predictions