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President Joe Biden on Monday sought to reassure Jewish voters that he stands firmly with Israel, calling for the full defeat of Hamas and denouncing the International Criminal Court’s assertion that Israel’s leaders are guilty of war crimes for their campaign in Gaza.
“What’s happening is not genocide. We reject that,” Biden said during a speech in the Rose Garden.
Vowing to continue to work “around the clock” to free the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the president avoided any past criticisms of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to launch a larger-scale invasion of Rafah, emphasizing instead his continued backing of Israel.
“I will always ensure Israel has everything it needs to defend itself against Hamas and all their enemies,” said Biden, who also noted his administration’s approval of humanitarian aid for innocent Palestinians. “We stand with Israel to take out [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas. We want Hamas defeated; we will work with Israel to make that happen.”
The speech honoring Jewish Heritage Month marked a clear effort to repair the increasingly strained relationship between the president and the Jewish community. For months, the president has struggled to navigate the thorny domestic politics of the Israel-Hamas war, offending progressives for his steadfast support of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before angering pro-Israel Democrats by withholding a shipment of heavy bombs that, he argued, would only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe on Gaza.
That latter decision, which coincided with the invitations for Monday’s gathering, created a fraught backdrop to Monday’s event, with Jewish Democratic leaders, donors and strategists expressing frustration that Biden chose to announce his threat to withhold specific aid to Israel less than a day after his Holocaust remembrance speech, when he declared his unwavering support for the country and decried the “ferocious surge” in antisemitism.
Biden and his team have sought to navigate the criticism by noting that he is still allowing for weapons shipments to Israel, just not 2,000-pound bombs that would prove highly destructive should Israeli forces launch a large-scale invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Biden did as much on Monday, noting that he would continue supporting Israel in its “defense” against Hamas. White House officials similarly noted that Biden has repeatedly affirmed the U.S.-Israel alliance amid opposition to a Rafah invasion. His administration recently informed Congress it was making another major weapons sale to Israel.
But Democrats have said they’ve found the administration’s messaging around weapons sales confusing. And others in the party say that the president faces enormous pressure from young voters and progressives to do more to compel Israel to agree to a permanent cease-fire with Hamas. They see Biden as being in a difficult, perhaps impossible, pinch.
“We see it on campuses, we see it on the floor of the House of Representatives and we see it in the political rhetoric — that there is no message which will satisfy everyone,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking Democrat of the House Intelligence Committee. “And there is no action that will satisfy everyone.”
Jewish Americans represent a sizable, reliable chunk of Biden’s coalition, with 7 in 10 identifying as liberal or Democratic, according to a 2020 Pew Research survey, including in key populations in swing states like Pennsylvania. Dan Siegel, a Democratic consultant who organized Jewish voters for Biden’s 2020 campaign in Pennsylvania, argued that these voters likely won’t use foreign policy as the deciding factor.
“Historically, Israel is the seventh thing Jewish Americans vote on, so let’s say, this year, it’s fourth thing this time,” Siegel said. “The first three issues they’ll be voting on are still healthcare, jobs and the economy. Joe Biden is still winning them on those issues.”
Biden aides have tried at various points to argue that its stance is where public sentiment truly lies. The administration has also rolled out its strategy to combat antisemitism, including new guidance to colleges on combating antisemitism and the development of a campus safety guide for schools. In their remarks Monday, Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff both decried the rise in antisemitism and vowed to continue to work to eradicate hate.
State Rep. Noah Arbit, who represents the most heavily Jewish legislative district in Michigan, rejected Biden’s critics, arguing that “no president has had Israel’s back more forcefully — and at substantial political risk — than Joe Biden, so to accuse him of abandoning us is ridiculous.”
But Arbit, who attended Monday’s event, stressed that the conflict in Gaza is nonetheless threatening Biden’s position as he heads into the fall.
“It’s demobilizing certain portions of the Democratic base and that’s a dangerous place to be when we live in a 50-50 country,” Arbit said.
