On Wednesday evening, President Biden spoke with leaders from the American Jewish community at the White House to pledge his full and continued support for the Government and people of Israel. In his remarks, the President reiterated his deep sympathy for all those missing, wounded, and killed in the unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists. President Biden emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism and that America cannot be silent in the face of these unconscionable attacks. He reiterated the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to supporting Israel and its right to defend itself. The President reiterated his strong commitment to pursuing every avenue to bring American hostages currently held by Hamas terrorists home to their families.

Following the President’s remarks, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin held a roundtable discussion with the Jewish community leaders. The participants discussed the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel, the President’s multidimensional commitment to support Israel’s security in the wake of the attack, and the Administration’s enduring responsibility to protect Jewish communities from antisemitic incidents in the U.S.

The group addressed a number of topics, including the Administration’s focus on ensuring that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. are identified, condemned and, as appropriate, investigated. In addition, they discussed the importance of vigilance against a rise in antisemitic actions. Participants also discussed the importance of solidarity with the Jewish community as it feels intense grief in the aftermath of the horrific events in Israel.  

The roundtable also discussed a meeting held on Tuesday following the terrorist attack on Israel with representatives of departments and agencies across government who were involved in the development of the President’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The group, which includes representatives of more than two dozen federal agencies, met to share information and resources, detail outreach strategies, and discuss ongoing efforts to prevent antisemitism and other forms of hate in the United States in response to this weekend’s horrific events.

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