“You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist,” President Joe Biden said in an interview, reiterating his belief in Israel’s right to exist.
Speaking to journalist Speedy Morman from New York-based Complex media, Biden said “Being a Zionist is about whether or not Israel is a haven for Jews because of their history of how they’ve been persecuted”.
The President highlighted the misinterpretation of Zionism, explaining that “If there weren’t an Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk”. “There was a need… after World War II… for Jews to have a place that was their own,” he said.
Biden also shared his experience in Israel when he visited eight days after October 7. “I saw photos of mothers and daughters being tied in a rope, kerosene poured on their head and then burned to death,” he said. “Nothing’s happened like that since the Holocaust”. The President called Hamas “a bunch of thugs”.
Asked why Arab and Muslim Americans should continue to vote for him, given his support for Israel, Biden said he has “done more for the Palestinian community than anybody”. He cited pressuring Egypt to open their border and let “goods, medicine, and food through”. “I’m the guy that’s been able to pull together the Arab states, who agreed to help the Palestinians with food and shelter,” Biden said.
Biden also discussed his efforts to help normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. “I got a call from the Saudis,” he said. “They want to fully recognise Israel”. Riyadh has not yet gone so far, and Saudi officials have reiterated that they will not normalise relations until Israel agrees to establish a pathway toward a two state solution.
In the interview, Biden was pressed on whether the US should continue weapons sales to Israel. While the President confirmed that the high-payload weapons he had previously withheld were now released to Israel, he said the US would still deny them 2,000 lb offensive weapons. “I made it real clear,” he said. “They cannot use weapons that we provide them…in civilian areas”.
Arab and Muslim communities in the US have become inceasingly critical of Biden’s stance over the war in Gaza, which could cause him problems in key swing states like Michigan, which have a sizeable Muslim minority. At the same time, Jewish voters – though still skewing Democrat – are slipping towards Trump.
