US President Joe Biden on Wednesday joined a call with American rabbis marking the Jewish High Holy Days, in which he expressed his support for Israel. Biden touted his “unprecedented action … to successfully assist in the successful defense of Israel” following attacks by Iran and its proxies. “You’ve heard me say before that I got very badly criticized as a young senator, saying, ‘I’m a Zionist.’ You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, that’s not necessary, and the idea, I firmly believe, without an Israel, every Jew in the world’s security is less stable – I mean that,” Biden said in the call. “It doesn’t mean that Jewish leadership doesn’t have to be more progressive than it is, but it does mean it has to exist, and that’s what worries me most about what’s going on now,” he added. “You’ve heard me say before that my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people and the security of Israel as the right to exist is independent — independent of that — of everything else. The Jewish state has to remain. It has to remain — the ironclad commitment to it,” said Biden. “You know, you are the rock for your people. I want to thank you for all you do every single day for your congregations, for your communities, for our country.” Commenting on the October 7 attacks and the hostages still held by Hamas, Biden said, “My administration is doubling down on our work to secure the release of the remaining hostages, just as we have freed hostages already. And we will not rest until they’re all home.” “As you saw just last week, the United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran and all its proxies — Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. We’re doing everything we can to ease the suffering of all the people from this war against Hamas and that Hamas started,” he stated. “I also want you to know that I see you, I hear you, I see your pain from the ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and, quite frankly, around the world — absolutely despicable. And I hope we h- — we learned a lesson from our parents’ generation. We have to stand up. We have to call it out. It has to be stopped,” said Biden. After the phone call, Biden wrote on social media site X, “For the last three years, it’s been an honor to hold a High Holidays call from the White House.” “To Jewish Americans everywhere: Thank you for finding joy in the darkness and shining your light on our nation and on the world. May God bless you all.” The call with the rabbis followed Biden’s 50-minute telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Wednesday. The White House said in a statement following the call that Biden “affirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security. He condemned unequivocally Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st. On Lebanon, the President emphasized the need for a diplomatic arrangement to safely return both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” Related articles: Ex-Aide reveals Biden's mental condition during campaign Harris aides discussed, 'What happens if Biden dies in office' Former student denounces detention as ‘anti-Palestinian racism’ Trump ends Secret Service protection for Biden’s children “The President affirmed Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut,” said the statement. The conversation also dealt with Israel's plans to retaliate for Iran's ballistic missile attack against the Jewish State last week.
