New York, NY, October 18, 2023 – Remarks after the emergency war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, where President Biden joined Prime Minister Netanyahu, attributable to Jack Rosen, President, American Jewish Congress, and Daniel Rosen, Vice Chair:
“The strategic benefits of President Biden’s landing in Israel amid a war engulfing our strongest ally in the Middle East cannot be overstated. By his actions, Joe Biden helped rally Major Powers to demonstrate an equally robust commitment to Israel’s security, and we have seen the response from leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
But the most potent message sent by this wartime visit goes to our and Israel’s foes in that region. What he stated next must have resonated in regional capitals and beyond: ‘My message to any state, or any other hostile actor, thinking about attacking Israel remains the same as it was a week ago: Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.’
Another key message cut through the ambivalence in some corners of that region and worldwide – including, unfortunately, here at home – on Hamas terrorist group: ‘Hamas committed atrocities that recall the worst ravages of ISIS, unleashing pure unadulterated evil upon the world. There’s no rationalizing it. No excusing it. Period.’
Let this not be understated: President Biden has delivered a solemn rebuttal to Oct. 7 denialism everywhere, and to attempts to dehumanize the over 1,300 victims on that day, and their grieving families and the families of the hostages.
Joining an emergency meeting of the Israeli war cabinet was another masterstroke for the President. Along with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the two demonstrated the will of the civilized world to end the evil that Hamas represents. The Israeli prime minister’s description in that meeting of what the battle against Hamas is going to look like helps us understand the challenge ahead. In PM Netanyahu’s words: “This will be a different kind of war because Hamas is a different kind of enemy (..) The forces of civilization will prevail, for our sake, for your sake, for peace and security in our region and in the world.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s confidence in the Jewish state’s ability to deal with this threat is reassuring:“I can assure you, Mr. President, Israel is united to defeat Hamas. And we will defeat Hamas and remove this terrible threat from our lives.”
We at the American Jewish Congress thank President Biden for his thoughtful leadership, for being a true friend of Israel, and for his heartfelt remarks that touched the Jewish community at home, Israelis, and people everywhere. He and Prime Minister Netanyahu embody leadership at time of war.
We close with this parting remark that President Biden left Israel and the region with before boarding the plane for home: “Israel again must be a safe place for the Jewish people. And I promise you: we are going to do everything in our power to make sure it will be.”
JACK ROSEN
President, American Jewish Congress
DANIEL ROSEN
Vice Chair, American Jewish Congress
