During a speech at the Holocaust Memorial Museum yesterday, President Joe Biden addressed escalating antisemitism on college campuses, condemning hatred towards Jewish Americans, and expressed solidarity during a period of heightened tensions.
He acknowledged Americans’ right to free speech but said, “Scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.”
Meanwhile
The Biden administration temporarily suspended an arms shipment to Israel to oppose the Israeli move to invade Gaza’s Rafah and prevent the use of American weapons in the region.
The suspended shipment includes 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, deemed potentially detrimental to civilian safety in Rafah, where 1.4 million people seek refuge.
It is the first time since the Gaza war began on October 7 that President Biden has used his powers to limit arms to Israel.
The decision announced on Tuesday reflects a growing divide between Washington and Jerusalem.