Talking at his final Hanukkah reception as president, Biden on Monday evening reiterated his “ironclad” help for Israel and mentioned he was dedicated to getting each single one of many hostages dwelling.
“I do know this yr’s Hanukkah falls on the hearts which might be nonetheless very heavy. It is the second Hanukkah for the reason that horrors of Oct. 7. Over 1,000 slaughtered, a whole lot taken hostage, unspeakable sexual violence and a lot extra. The trauma of that day and its aftermath remains to be uncooked and ongoing,” President Joe Biden mentioned.
“I’ve gotten over 100 hostages out. I can’t cease so I get each single one among them dwelling,” he added.
The president additionally denounced the “despicable surge of antisemitism” within the U.S. and all over the world.
President Joe Biden speaks throughout a Hanukkah vacation reception within the East Room of the White Home on Dec. 16, 2024 in Washington, D.C.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
“I’ve mentioned many instances earlier than, my dedication to the protection of the Jewish folks and safety of Israel and its proper to exist as an unbiased nation-state stays ironclad,” he mentioned.
Throughout his remarks, Biden recalled taking every of his grandchildren to focus camps in Europe so they’d perceive the horrors of the Holocaust.
“I wished them to know that you simply could not faux it did not occur, and it ought to by no means occur once more,” Biden mentioned.
“And so I discovered a very long time in the past, you do not have to be a Jew to be a Zionist. I am a Zionist,” Biden mentioned, repeating a phrase he has used all through his profession.
President Joe Biden speaks throughout a Hanukkah reception within the East Room of the White Home in Washington, Dec. 16, 2024.
Rod Lamkey/AP
The president’s remarks on Monday evening come the day after he hosted the Democratic Nationwide Committee’s vacation reception, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden, who has simply over a month left in workplace, talked about his legacy and the lasting impact he wished to go away on America. “The one factor I’ve all the time believed about public service, and particularly in regards to the presidency, is the significance of asking your self: ‘Have we left the nation in higher form than we discovered it?'” Biden mentioned throughout his remarks on Sunday night.
“In the present day, I can say, with [every] fiber of my being, of all my coronary heart, the reply to that query is a convincing ‘sure.’ Due to all of you assembled right here, we could be proud we’re leaving America in a greater place immediately than we got here right here 4 years in the past,” Biden mentioned.
