By Ahmad Dagher
WASHINGTON, D.C.––With Passover beginning this Monday, President Biden gave a virtual statement from the South Court Auditorium on the holiday, linking it to the Israel-Hamas conflict and pledging his continued support for Israel.
“As Jews mark Passover with storytelling, songs, and rituals, they will also read from the Haggadah how, in every generation, they have been targeted by those who would seek to destroy them,” wrote President Biden. “This year, those words carry deeper resonance and pain in the wake of Hamas’ unspeakable evil on October 7th – the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
To further cement his position, he continued, “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad.”
Biden also wrote on the continued efforts the administration is making toward securing a temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, perhaps due to the recent Democrat criticism against the Israeli military operations in Gaza.
At the same time, Biden made clear the commitment to freeing the nearly 100 hostages believed to be held by Hamas: “My Administration is working around the clock to free the hostages, and we will not rest until we bring them home.”
The statement ended with a reference to the recent protests sparked in universities all over the US. “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
This statement was given not long after recent protests at Columbia University, where over 100 pro-Palestinian protestors were taken into custody after setting up a plethora of encampments all over campus. The protests had led a rabbi associated with the university to tell Jewish students to leave campus for home and celebrate Passover there.
In general, universities have seen an increase in the number of protests since the attacks on Oct. 7, which left 1200 Israelis dead and over 200 taken hostage.
The response (namely, the bombing in Gaza), has killed over 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
While the exact future course of the conflict remains uncertain, the fact that it will continue to spark demonstrations and controversiality seems clear.
