No place for hate in America against Jews, Muslims or anybody else: Biden

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden warned Monday against a rise in antisemitism around the globe as he marked Hanukkah, a Jewish festival that lasts eight days.

"I also recognize you’re hurt from the silence, and the fear and for your safety because the surge of antisemitism in the United States of America and around the world is sickening."

"You know, we see it across our communities, and schools, and colleges, and social media," Biden said at the Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House.

The US is implementing "the first ever" national strategy to combat antisemitism, he added.

"Let me be clear: There is no place for hate in America against Jews, Muslims or anybody else.”

The reception came more than two months after the Israeli military launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, claiming the lives of at least 18,205 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis.

Separately, a group of Jewish protesters gathered outside the White House demanding an end to Israel's attacks on Gaza and called for a cease-fire.

US officials have recently been urging Israel to "reduce civilian casualties" in the Gaza Strip.

Biden said he has had differences with some of the Israeli leadership.

"I have known Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) now for 51 years. He has a picture on his desk of he and I when he was a young member of the Israeli service here, the foreign service, and I was a 32-year-old senator.

"And I wrote on the top of it ‘Bibi, I love you, but I don't agree with a damn thing you have to say.’ It's about the same thing today," he added.

Underscoring his commitment to provide military assistance to Israel "until it gets rid of Hamas," Biden said: "But they have to be careful. The whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight. We can’t let that happen."