Biden to Speak on Holocaust Remembrance, Remains Silent on Campus Unrest

President Biden is set to address the issue of antisemitism next week at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual “days of remembrance” commemoration, as announced by the White House on Wednesday. Despite his previous silence on the matter, Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that the president will discuss the moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism during his keynote address.

The Biden-Harris administration had already developed a national strategy to counter antisemitism prior to the recent Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel, which resulted in significant casualties. Jean-Pierre emphasized the administration’s commitment to ensuring that the promise of “never, never again” is upheld.

However, questions have been raised about Biden’s lack of personal involvement in addressing the recent campus protests and antisemitic incidents. Critics have pointed out that the president has only made brief condemnations of antisemitism, leaving it to his aides to address the issue.

Former Representative Ted Deutch, now the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, stressed the importance of Biden publicly condemning antisemitism and expressed hope that the president would speak boldly on the matter during his upcoming address.

Meanwhile, Republicans have seized the opportunity to position themselves as defenders of Jewish Americans, despite their own party’s history with known antisemites. The Republican National Committee attempted to shift blame onto Biden for allowing antisemitism to flourish, while Speaker Mike Johnson led a House vote on a resolution condemning antisemitism, which passed with bipartisan support but faced opposition from some Democrats.