Next week, at the Holocaust memorial event at the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden will address the surge of antisemitism, according to White House staffers.
The president will make an unprecedented public appearance in his speech, addressing a contentious issue that has shaken up American universities and politics in recent weeks.
Biden “will discuss the moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism” and the administration’s work on the subject, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Every year since Jimmy Carter’s presidency, the memorial has been held at the United States Holocaust Museum.
Following Hamas’ assaults on Israel on October 7, Biden made passionate comments on antisemitism. Additionally, he has spoken out against the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have escalated into violent incidents targeting Jewish students on college campuses.
White House officials have been vocal in their criticism of university events recently, prompting Republicans to accuse the president of avoiding public scrutiny by refusing to answer for his actions.
Throughout his presidency, Biden has made anti-Semitism a central theme. He blamed Trump’s reaction to the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally—which featured self-identified white supremacists—for his decision to run for president in 2020. Heather Heyer was killed when a man drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters; Trump claimed “blame on both sides” in this tragic event.
This next election, according to Biden, is a “battle for the soul of the nation.”
Every year since Jimmy Carter’s presidency, the memorial has been held at the United States Holocaust Museum. The announcement that Biden will deliver a speech on May 7 was initially made public by Haaretz.
Since the Holocaust museum first opened its doors in 1993, every president has been invited to give a keynote speech at the Days of Remembrance ceremony. It was given by Trump in 2017. It will be Biden’s first this year.
