Biden receives mixed reactions for saying Jewish people would not be safe without Israel
December 12, 2023 12:30 PM
The White House has struggled to express its support for Israel and the people of Gaza, but President Joe Biden‘s suggestion regarding the safety of Jewish people without Israel has renewed scrutiny.
Biden reiterating during Monday night’s White House Hanukkah holiday reception that “were there no Israel, there wouldn’t be a Jew in the world that is safe” received mixed reactions online amid an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks, in addition to tension between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates, including on college campuses. He also repeated his description of himself as a “Zionist,” contending one does not have to be Jewish to be a Zionist.
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“This mantra from Biden is in fact an assault on Constitutional Rights he is sworn to uphold,” critic Sam Husseini wrote on social media. “What keeps Jews and other religious minorities in the U.S. safe is the First Amendment, and the nature of U.S. society, not the existence of a foreign power — particularly one that itself practices apartheid and conducts war crimes.”
This mantra from Biden is in fact an assault on Constitutional Rights he is sworn to uphold. What keeps Jews and other religious minorities in the US safe is the First Amendment, and the nature of US society, not the existence of a foreign power—particularly one that itself… https://t.co/NmAdf6VCGp
— Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) December 12, 2023
Meanwhile, Biden’s remark was welcomed by many members of the Jewish community, such as the Belgium-based European Jewish Congress, after Hamas‘s Oct. 7 acts of terrorism.
“Thank you, @POTUS, for your ongoing support and leadership,” the group wrote.
President Joe Biden, during a White House reception celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, reaffirmed his commitment to “the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist”.
Thank you, @POTUS, for your ongoing support and leadership. pic.twitter.com/oCTkd8q4D2
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) December 12, 2023
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Almost 800 guests were invited to the reception, held on the fifth night of Hanukkah, including Jewish lawmakers, entertainers, and Holocaust survivors, for a menorah lighting led by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at New York City’s Central Synagogue.
“The menorah will be lit by the Second Gentleman and White House staff that are descendants of Holocaust survivors,” White House officials said earlier. “The president is expected to discuss how Hanukkah is a timeless story of miracles and that even in dark times we can find the light.”