• last year
President Biden delivered remarks on Tuesday to discuss the terrorist attack on Israel.
Transcript
00:00 You know, there are moments in this life --
00:02 and I mean this literally --
00:05 when the pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world.
00:11 The people of Israel lived through one such moment
00:16 this weekend.
00:18 The bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas,
00:21 a group who stated purpose for being is to kill Jews.
00:29 This was an act of sheer evil.
00:30 More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered --
00:35 I just killed -- slaughtered in Israel.
00:38 Among them, at least 14 American citizens killed.
00:43 Parents butchered, using their bodies
00:46 to try to protect their children.
00:48 Stomach-turning reports of babies being killed.
00:52 Entire families slain.
00:55 Young people massacred while attending a musical festival.
00:58 To celebrate peace -- to celebrate peace.
01:01 Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies.
01:05 Families hid their fear for hours and hours,
01:10 desperately trying to keep their children quiet
01:12 to avoid drawing attention.
01:15 And thousands of wounded, alive but carrying with them
01:21 the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds
01:23 and the memory of what they endured.
01:27 You all know these traumas never go away.
01:29 There are still so many families desperately waiting
01:32 to hear the fate of their loved ones,
01:34 not knowing if they're alive or dead or hostages.
01:38 Infants in their mothers' arms, grandparents in wheelchairs,
01:42 Holocaust survivors abducted and held hostage.
01:45 Hostages whom Hamas has now threatened to execute
01:49 in violation of every code of human morality.
01:54 It's abhorrent. The brutality of Hamas,
01:58 this bloodthirstiness brings to mind the worst --
02:04 the worst rampages of ISIS. This is terrorism.
02:08 But sadly, for the Jewish people, it's not new.
02:12 This attack has brought to the surface painful memories
02:17 and the scars left by a millennia of anti-Semitism
02:20 and genocide of the Jewish people.
02:24 So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear.
02:30 We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel.
02:36 And we will make sure Israel has what it needs
02:40 to take care of its citizens,
02:41 defend itself, and respond to this attack.
02:44 There's no justification for terrorism.
02:47 There's no excuse.
02:51 Hamas does not stand for the Palestinians' --
02:53 people's right to dignity and self-determination.
02:56 Its stated purpose is the annihilation of the State of Israel
03:00 and the murder of Jewish people.
03:02 They use Palestinian civilians as human shields.
03:07 Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed,
03:10 with no regard to who pays the price.
03:13 The loss of innocent life is heartbreaking.
03:21 Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond --
03:26 indeed, has a duty to respond -- to these vicious attacks.
03:30 I just got off the phone with --
03:33 a third call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and I told him,
03:38 "The United States' experience with Israel
03:40 is experiencing our response
03:42 to be swift, decisive, and overwhelming."
03:44 We also discussed how democracies like Israel
03:48 and the United States are stronger and more secure
03:51 when we act according to the rule of law.
03:54 Terrorists purposely target civilians and kill them.
04:02 We uphold the laws of war -- the law of war.
04:07 It matters. There's a difference.
04:08 Today, Americans across the country
04:12 are praying for all those families
04:14 that have been ripped apart.
04:17 A lot of us know how it feels -- it leaves a black hole
04:20 in your chest when you lose family,
04:21 feeling like you're being sucked in --
04:25 the anger, the pain, the sense of hopelessness.
04:31 This is what they mean by a human tragedy,
04:37 an atrocity on an appalling scale.
04:43 We're going to continue to stand united,
04:47 supporting the people of Israel
04:49 who are suffering unspeakable losses
04:50 and opposing the hatred and violence of terrorism.
04:55 My team has been in near-constant communication
05:01 with our Israeli partners and partners
05:03 all across the region and the world
05:05 from the moment this crisis began.
05:07 We're surging additional military assistance,
05:10 including ammunition and interceptors,
05:13 to replenish Iron Dome.
05:16 We're going to make sure that Israel does not run out
05:18 of these critical assets
05:19 to defend its cities and its citizens.
05:22 My administration has consulted closely with Congress
05:27 throughout this crisis.
05:28 And when Congress returns,
05:31 we're going to ask them to take urgent action
05:33 to fund the national security requirements
05:36 of our critical partners.
05:38 This is not about party or politics.
05:41 This is about the security of our world.
05:45 The security of the United States of America.
05:48 We now know that American citizens
05:52 are among those being held by Hamas.
05:54 I've directed my team to share intelligence
05:58 and deploy additional experts
06:00 from across the United States government
06:02 to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts
06:05 on hostage recovery efforts.
06:08 Because, as President, I have no higher priority
06:12 than the safety of Americans
06:13 being held hostage around the world.
06:15 The United States has also enhanced
06:18 our military force posture in the region
06:20 to strengthen our deterrence.
06:23 The Department of Defense has moved the USS
06:27 Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group
06:29 to the Eastern Mediterranean
06:31 and bolstered our fighter aircraft presence.
06:33 And we stand ready to move in additional assets as needed.
06:37 Let me say again, to any country,
06:42 any organization, anyone thinking
06:44 of taking advantage of this situation,
06:46 I have one word -- don't. Don't.
06:51 Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear.
06:57 Yesterday, I also spoke with the leaders of France,
07:01 Germany, Italy, and U.K.
07:03 to discuss the latest developments
07:05 with our European allies
07:06 and coordinate our united response.
07:10 This comes on top of days of steady engagement
07:14 with partners across the region.
07:15 We're also taking steps at home.
07:19 In cities across the United States of America,
07:22 police departments
07:23 have stepped up security around centers for --
07:25 of Jewish life.
07:27 The Department of Homeless Security
07:28 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
07:30 are working closely with state and local law enforcement
07:33 and Jewish community partners to identify and disrupt
07:36 any domestic threat that could emerge in connection
07:39 with these horrific attacks.
07:41 This is a moment for the United States to come together,
07:45 to grieve with those who are mourning.
07:48 Let's be real clear,
07:52 there is no place for hate in America --
07:55 not against Jews, not against Muslims,
07:59 not against anybody. We reject --
08:02 we reject -- what we reject is terrorism.
08:07 We condemn the indiscriminate evil,
08:09 just as we've always done. That's what America stands for.
08:13 You know, just over 50 years ago --
08:16 I was thinking about it this morning,
08:17 talking to the Secretary of State,
08:19 the Vice President in my office --
08:21 over 50 years ago, as a young senator,
08:25 I visited Israel for the first time
08:28 as a newly elected senator.
08:31 And I had a long, long trip --
08:36 a meeting with Golda Meir in her office
08:38 just before the Yom Kippur War.
08:42 And I guess she could see the consternation on my face
08:49 as she described what was being faced --
08:51 they were facing.
08:53 We walked outside in that --
08:56 that, sort of, hallway outside her office to have some photos.
09:01 She looked at me all of a sudden and said,
09:03 "Would you like to have a photograph?"
09:06 And so I got up and followed her out.
09:08 We're standing there silent, looking at the press.
09:12 She could tell, I guess, I was concerned.
09:14 She leaned over and whispered to me.
09:17 She said, "Don't worry, Senator Biden.
09:19 We have a secret weapon here in Israel."
09:22 My word is what she said.
09:26 We have no place else to go. We have no place else to go.
09:34 For 75 years, Israel has stood as the only guarantor
09:38 of the security of Jewish people around the world
09:42 so that the atrocities of the past could never happen again.
09:46 And let there be no doubt the United States has Israel's back.
09:51 We will make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel
09:55 can defend itself today, tomorrow, as we always have.
09:58 It's as simple as that.
10:02 These atrocities have been sickening.
10:05 We're with Israel. Let's make no mistake.
10:10 Thank you.
10:11 -What was your reaction?
10:13 -The president is very proud of you, sir.
10:15 -Mr. President, will you reprieve the $6 billion,
10:19 Mr. President?
10:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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