Biden’s Passover Message: “Speak Out” and Fight Antisemitism

President Joe Biden wrote an April 5 CNN op-ed urging people to “speak out” and fight against rising antisemitism.

Biden wrote that the Passover holiday isn’t just a remembrance of the Jews who escaped from slavery in Egypt but “also a cautionary tale of the present and our future as a democracy. As Jews read from the Haggadah about how evil in every generation has tried to destroy them, antisemitism is rising to record levels today.” The president cited various acts of Jewish institutions being attacked and antisemitic conspiracy theories being spread through vandalism, flyers and online.

“To the Jewish community, I want you to know that I see your fear, your hurt and your concern that this venom is being normalized,” Biden wrote. “I decided to run for President after I saw it in Charlottesville, when neo-Nazis marched from the shadows spewing the same antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the 1930s. Rest assured that I am committed to the safety of the Jewish people. I stand with you. America stands with you. Under my presidency, we continue to condemn antisemitism at every turn. Failure to call out hate is complicity. Silence is complicity. And we will not be silent.” He also touted his record on antisemitism, including the appointment of Deborah Lipstadt as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, signing a law “to help state and local law enforcement better identify and respond to hate crimes” and securing “the largest-ever increase in funding for the physical security of nonprofits.”

“As we celebrate Passover, let us reflect that like the four children in the Haggadah, despite our differences we sit at the same table, as one people, one nation, one America,” Biden wrote. “Let us join hands across faiths, races, and backgrounds to make clear that evil will not win; hate will not prevail; and antisemitism will not be the story of our time.”

Various Jewish groups praised Biden’s op-ed, with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) calling it “powerful.” American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch tweeted, “Thank you, Mr. President, for your commitment to the Jewish community and their safety. We are grateful for your leadership.”

"Passover teaches that remembering is not enough; we must also speak out. The word “Haggadah” means “telling” – & it reminds us of our moral obligation to state clearly & forcefully that this scourge of antisemitism must stop."

Powerful words from @POTUS.https://t.co/5jSrgKBlsw

— ADL (@ADL) April 5, 2023

"Failure to call out hate is complicity. And we will not be silent."

A must-read piece from @POTUS Biden ahead of Passover.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your commitment to the Jewish community and their safety.

We are grateful for your leadership. https://t.co/dIPxw1XYsp

— Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (@AJCCEO) April 5, 2023

The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) tweeted, “On the eve of the first Seder, @POTUS reiterated loud & clear that he is a staunch ally of the Jewish American community. Thank you. President Biden, for commitment to fighting antisemitism and restoring the soul of our nation.”

On the eve of the first Seder, @POTUS reiterated loud & clear that he is a staunch ally of the Jewish American community.

Thank you. President Biden, for commitment to fighting antisemitism and restoring the soul of our nation.https://t.co/xOMbrVMUXR

— Jewish Dems (@USJewishDems) April 5, 2023

Newsweek Opinion Editor Josh Hammer, on the other hand, tweeted: “‘To fight antisemitism, we must remember, speak out and act.’ – @JoeBiden By ‘act,’ does he mean resume U.S. taxpayer subsidization of the Palestinian Authority, mollycoddle the Iranian regime, and attempt an anti-Bibi color revolution in Israel…?

"To fight antisemitism, we must remember, speak out and act." – @JoeBiden

By "act," does he mean resume U.S. taxpayer subsidization of the Palestinian Authority, mollycoddle the Iranian regime, and attempt an anti-Bibi color revolution in Israel…? 🤔 https://t.co/p0fzKMYQ2I

— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) April 5, 2023