Biden faces huge test with anti-Semitism speech at Holocaust remembrance ceremony as Gaza protesters cause chaos at colleges and Israel invades Rafah
- Biden to speak at U.S. Holocaust Museum's annual commemoration
- READ MORE: World holds its breath as Israeli tanks roll into Rafah
President Joe Biden will condemn anti-semitism during a speech at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony on Capitol Hill Tuesday, as he tries to balance his support for Israel's war with concern for the citizens of Gaza.
Biden's speech comes at a critical time: Israel has sent tanks into Rafah and taken control of the Gaza side of a crossing to Egypt that is a major conduit for humanitarian aid. And, in the U.S., college campuses have been rocked by pro-Palestinian protests with some schools canceling commencement addresses as the demonstrates grow anti-semitic.
'You can expect the president to make clear that during these sacred days of remembrance, we honor the memory of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter. Never again,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday.
Israeli tanks cross into Rafah in the Gaza strip
The president has struggled to balance his support for Israel after the October 7th attack by Hamas - the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust - with his efforts to protect the civilian population of Palestine.
About a million refugees have crowded into Rafah. Biden on Monday warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a full-scale assault on the area but Israeli forces moved forward anyway.
Progressives have urged the president to do more to help the Palestinian refugees.
And young voters, a key constituency for Biden, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the war.
As the issue grows more contested, some protests on campuses have started to feature antisemitic chants and threats toward Jewish students.
Biden will address the issue.
The president 'will speak to how since October 7th, we´ve seen an alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S. and our cities, our communities and on our campuses,' Jean-Pierre said.
About 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to health authorities. And many of the area's 2.3 million people on the brink of starvation, with the UN worried about famine conditions.
Biden himself has faced protesters at his public events with many of them calling him 'Genocide Joe.'
He has spoken little on the protesters that follow him and those who have been disrupting college campuses. More than 2,000 people have been arrested on university campuses since April 18.
'There's the right to protest but not the right to cause chaos,' he said last week in his first in-depth remarks on the matter. 'People have the right to get an education, the right to get a degree, the right to walk across the campus safely without fear of being attacked.'
President Joe Biden will condemn anti-semitism in a speech Tuesday for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance
A Day of Rage for Gaza was called in New York City by student groups as campus demonstrations against the war continue
Biden will speak at the Capitol building in a keynote address for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance.
In conjunction with his speech, his administration is highlighting its actions to combat antisemitism.
The Department of Education is sending every school district and college in the nation a letter outlining examples of antisemitism and other hate that could lead to federal civil rights investigations.
Since the Oct. 7 attack, the department has opened more than 100 investigations into complaints about antisemitism and other forms of discrimination under Title VI.
On Monday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, met with Jewish college students at the White House about the administration's efforts to combat antisemitism.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security is working to 'build an online campus safety resource guide' to provide 'financial, educational, and technical assistance' for campuses, according to a White House fact sheet
And the State Department's Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism 'will convene technology firms to identify best practices to address Antisemitic content online,' the fact sheet said.
Biden's Republican rival in the presidential race, Donald Trump, has looked to take advantage of Democratic divisions over Israel's response to improve the GOP's chances with Jewish voters, who traditionally vote Democratic.
'Jewish Americans are realizing that the Democrat Party has turned into a full-blown anti-Israel, antisemitic, pro-terrorist cabal, and that's why more and more Jewish Americans are supporting President Trump,' Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson, told Reuters.
About seven in 10 U.S. Jewish voters support Democrats, while three in 10 are Republican-aligned, according to the Pew Research Center.
A protester is held in the street during demonstrations in New York
A Palestinian man watches as smoke rises after Israeli strikes while Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah
In response, Biden's campaign has issued a lengthy list of Trump's antisemitic comments and behavior, including reports that Trump has allegedly said that Adolf Hitler 'did some good things.'
But polls show young voters are unhappy with the president.
A survey by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School found that only 18% of young voters approve of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
