President Joe Biden urged Americans on Wednesday to speak out and act against antisemitism in a Passover address titled “My message to the Jewish community this Passover,” posted on the White House website. He condemned the surge of attacks on Jews in the United States, stating, “Failure to call out hate is complicity…And we will not be silent.” Biden highlighted that Jews worldwide will gather around the seder table to celebrate Passover, recounting the story of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt—a timeless narrative of faith, hope, and redemption that has inspired oppressed peoples for generations.
Biden emphasized that Passover is more than a recollection of the past; it serves as a cautionary tale for the present and future of democracy. He noted that antisemitism is reaching record levels, citing FBI data that more than half of religious hate crimes in 2021 targeted Jews, and an Anti-Defamation League report indicating that 2022 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents since tracking began over 40 years ago. He described the pervasive nature of this evil: terrorist attacks on synagogues, bricks thrown through windows of Jewish businesses, antisemitic flyers left on lawns, swastikas on cars and cemeteries, graffiti in schools, and harassment of Jewish students on college campuses.
The President called these acts “unconscionable and despicable,” echoing the worst chapters of human history and threatening not only Jews but other minority communities, staining the soul of the nation. He expressed empathy for the Jewish community’s fear and concern that such venom is becoming normalized, recalling his decision to run for president after witnessing neo‑Nazi marches in Charlottesville that echoed the antisemitic rhetoric of 1930s Germany.
Biden reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Jewish safety, stating, “I stand with you. America stands with you.” He pledged continued condemnation of antisemitism, stressing that silence equals complicity. Reflecting on the lessons of Passover, he invoked the sacred duty to remember, noting his recent visit to Israel to reaffirm America’s unwavering support for its security. During that trip, he returned to Yad Vashem to honor the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, keeping the truth of that horror alive and reminding everyone of the shared responsibility to fulfill the promise of “Never Again.”
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