Washington — President Biden is set to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Annual Day of Remembrance Celebration on Tuesday, where he’s expected to condemn a rise in antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Mr. Biden will “make clear that during these sacred days of remembrance, we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said told reporters on Monday, adding that he’s expected to “recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter — never again.”
“He will speak to the horrors of Oct. 7 when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he will speak to how since Oct. 7, we’ve seen an alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S. in our cities or communities and on our campuses.”
The remarks come as demonstrations against Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas and its toll on Palestinians in Gaza have come to a fever pitch in recent weeks, with protests at American college campuses that have cropped up throughout the country. Some of the demonstrations have featured antisemitic rhetoric that has prompted concerns about the safety of Jewish students on campuses.
Numerous political leaders have condemned antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses in recent weeks. And particularly among Republicans, the issue has become a rallying cry, as they’ve seized on a reluctance from university presidents to call out the rhetoric on their campuses. That ire has also shifted to the president himself more recently, as House Speaker Mike Johnson has put political pressure on Mr. Biden. Johnson is also set to speak at Tuesday’s event.
Last week, the president addressed the protests on college campuses, saying “order must prevail,” though he noted that “dissent is essential to democracy.” Despite pressure from Republicans, he told reporters that the National Guard should not intervene.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Mr. Biden is expected to focus on the administration’s efforts to protect Jewish Americans from antisemitism. But he’ll also walk a fine line that officials have been treading in recent weeks of upholding Americans’ right to free speech while condemning acts that go too far, putting Jewish students and others in danger.
The remarks come amid a precarious moment in the war in Gaza, after Israel appeared to move forward Tuesday with an offensive in the heavily populated southern city of Rafah, while cease-fire negotiations remain up in the air.