2024-05-08 15:54:14
The pro-Palestinian protest movement in the USA is trying to force the president to correct course in the Gaza war. In a speech commemorating the Holocaust, Joe Biden made it clear: There is nothing to shake his support for Israel.
In his speech at the Capitol, Biden sticks to his position on the Gaza war.
For days, President Joe Biden remained silent about the pro-Palestinian student protests at American universities. Only when buildings were occupied in New York last week and violent clashes broke out between pro- and anti-Zionist demonstrators in Los Angeles did the American president feel compelled to make a brief statement. “There is a right to protest, but not a right to cause chaos.” Hate and violence have no place in America.
Biden obviously did not want to burn his fingers with a hasty reaction to the sensitive issue in this election year. He has repeatedly described himself as a “Zionist”. Although he increasingly criticizes the harsh actions of the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, he has so far clearly been on Jerusalem’s side in the fight against Hamas. At the same time, however, he needs the many young voters who do not agree with his actions in the Gaza war.
Support for Israel remains “rock solid”
This made it all the more exciting to see Biden’s speech against anti-Semitism on Tuesday to commemorate the Holocaust. In advance, Kenneth Roth, the former director of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, called for via the short message service X, that, on the one hand, Biden should condemn “real” anti-Semitism. On the other hand, he must also criticize its instrumentalization to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel.
But Roth and probably many other left-wing listeners were largely disappointed. The hatred of Jews did not begin with the Nazi regime’s Holocaust and did not end with it, Biden said at the Capitol. “This hatred remains deeply anchored in the hearts of far too many people around the world.” That’s why we have to remain vigilant and speak out against anti-Semitism again and again. “This hatred was brought to life on October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organization Hamas brought the bloodiest day on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
Over 1,200 innocent civilians were massacred and hundreds were taken hostage, including Holocaust survivors. But now, just a few months later, people are forgetting that Hamas carried out this terror. “It was Hamas that took brutal action against Israelis.” Hamas has taken hostages and continues to hold them in its power. “Neither I nor you have forgotten that.” The attack should no longer be trivialized.
While Jews around the world were still coming to terms with the atrocities of that day, a sharp rise in anti-Semitism was being observed in the USA and worldwide. “Jewish students are harassed, harassed and attacked at universities.” Biden emphasized that he sees the fear and pain of the Jewish community. And he promises: “My support for the security of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent state is rock solid – even if we have differences.”
A rejection of the protest movement
Biden’s speech was essentially a rejection of the pro-Palestinian student movement’s understanding of history. This does not see Hamas’ terror as anti-Semitic, but as anti-Zionist. And it explains the hatred that manifested itself on October 7 as the result of Israel’s colonization of original Palestine. The movement’s criticism is not aimed at the Jews themselves, but rather at the Israeli state. The pro-Palestinian demonstrators reject the accusation of anti-Semitism, pointing out that there are also Jews in their ranks.
An important point of criticism of the movement is the Israeli reaction to Hamas’ terror. In their eyes, this is a collective punishment that is incompatible with international law. Around half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed or damaged, which has poverty increased sharplyand probably over 30,000 people were killed. But Biden didn’t address that in his speech.
America is currently debating whether the pro-Palestinian protests are an anti-Zionist movement whose anti-Semitic elements are an exception. Or whether it is essentially an anti-Semitic phenomenon that has been tolerated by left-wing university management for too long. For Republicans, the answer is clear. This is how the leading MP Elisa Stefanik described the demonstrators as an “anti-Semitic pro-Hamas mob”. And the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, spoke of the “virus of anti-Semitism” that had spread on universities.
Biden is wary of blanket condemnations of the protest movement. But with his speech he reinforced the impression that he doesn’t want to make a big difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. He may also have come to the conclusion that his previous position in the Gaza war could be less damaging to him in the fall election than he thought. According to surveys Among 18- to 29-year-old Americans, 76 percent of them are dissatisfied with their president’s Middle East policy. However, only around 2 percent of them see this conflict as the decisive criterion for their voting decision. Economic problems are also at the forefront for most young people.
In addition, no pro-Palestinian student will ultimately vote for Trump. Nevertheless, Biden should not be too careless. Many of his frustrated voters could stay at home and not vote. Because it is expected to be a very close race, a small group of voters may decide whether to win or lose.
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