Biden to deliver speech against antisemitism
US President Joe Biden will deliver a speech on antisemitism at an annual Holocaust remembrance ceremony today.
The address comes amid pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the US, including Columbia and UCLA. His speech will center around the need to combat associated antisemitism. He will also report on his progress with the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, introduced in May 2023.
In his speech, Biden will likely further cement US-Israel ties. Two weeks ago, he demonstrated his continued commitment to Israel, signing into law a bill that gave Israel around $14 billion in aid. Just last week, he denounced violent protesting and stated that the protests have not influenced his perspective on the war.
That being said, how Biden addresses the protests will also be important in regards to this year’s presidential election, as he may alienate younger voters sympathetic toward the protesters. A survey in March showed Americans aged 18-29 were partial to Biden over Trump by just three percentage points, making Biden’s treatment of the Israel-Palestine conflict even more critical. However, given the relatively small number of protesters relative to the estimated 41 million eligible Gen Z voters, Biden’s treatment of this issue alone is unlikely to be a dealbreaker.
