PresidentJoe Bidenon Monday issued a forceful rebuke of anti-semitism while delivering remarks at a White House Hanukkah ceremony.
Speaking to a crowd gathered o celebrate the ancient Jewish festival of lights, the president noted that this year’s Hanukkah arrival comes “in the midst of rising emboldenment of antisemitism at home and, quite frankly, around the world.”
“I recognize your fear, your hurt, your worry that this vile and venom is becoming too normal,” Biden said. “As your President, I want to make this clear — as my dad would say, and many of you have said: Silence is complicity. We must not remain silent.”
Samuel Corum/UPI/Shutterstock
Biden continued: “Today, we must all say clearly and forcefully: Antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence in this country can have no safe harbor in America. Period. And evil — this is not hyperbole — evil will not win. Hate will not prevail.”
Samuel Corum/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“Like this White House menorah, our commitment to the safety of the Jewish people and to the vibrancy of Jewish life that’s tightly woven into every fabric of America, it’s permanent,” he added. “Permanent.”
Elsewhere during the Monday night event, First Lady Dr.Jill Bidenintroduced attendees to a new addition to the White House holiday collection: a menorah made of reclaimed beams from the White House itself.
“It’s made of historic wood from the beams of this house, rescued when President Truman renovated this building,” Dr. Biden explained. “Its hand-hammered silver cups are meant to magnify the glow of the candles, their beauty reminding us both [of] the Hanukkah miracle and the joy it inspired.”
President Joe Biden.Susan Walsh/AP/Shutterstock
Dr. Biden continued: “You know, other menorahs have been borrowed before — significant, and meaningful ones. But the White House has never had its own menorah until now.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In a tweet published after West’s remarks, Biden wrote: “I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened.”
He continued: “Hitler was a demonic figure. And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity.”
source: people.com
