President Biden visits Israel: ‘You are not alone’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that that Biden's visit was "deeply, deeply moving," calling it the first ever by a U.S. president to visit Israel during a war.
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday to offer his support for Israel against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that that Biden’s visit was “deeply, deeply moving,” calling it the first ever by a U.S. president to visit Israel during a war.
“It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to Israel. It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to the future of the Jewish people and the one and only Jewish state.”
Netanyahu also stressed that the war in Gaza this time around will be different because Hamas is a “different kind of enemy.”
“While Israel seeks to minimise civilian casualties, Hamas seeks to maximise civilian casualties. Hamas wants to kill as many Israelis as possible and has no regard whatsoever to Palestinian lives. Every day, they perpetrate a double war crime: targeting our civilians while hiding behind their civilians, embedding themselves in the civilian population and using them as human shields,” he said.
Biden once again stressed the “appalling, terrorist assault, brutal, inhumane” atrocities committed by Hamas last week, but applauded the decision to form an emergency government.
“This cabinet came together and is standing strong, standing united. And I want you to know you are not alone. You are not alone,” he said.
Biden was initially scheduled to travel to Amman in Jordan for a summit between with Egypt’s President Al-Sissi, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The summit was, however, canceled after the explosion at the hospital.
In his meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Biden also commented on the explosion, saying: “It appears that it was done by the other team.”
Israel said it would present its evidence to the United States to convince the world that it wasn’t behind the explosion.
Biden’s visit to Israel will focus on putting pressure on Hamas to release some 200 hostages from Gaza, which includes American citizens. Biden will also discuss efforts to open Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza to allow humanitarian need in.
Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had agreed to make a plan for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Lastly, Biden’s presence in Israel is seen as a sign to Iran and Hezbollah, both of which have threatened Israel with war should the bombings of Gaza continue.
Biden has stressed repeatedly that the U.S. will not sit idly by if any of Israel’s enemies “take advantage” of the situation. “I have one word for you; don’t,” Biden said.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
