President Joins Roundtable Discussion With Douglas Emhoff and Jewish Community Leaders

By Hamodia Staff

President Biden joined a roundtable discussion between Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and lay leaders of the Jewish community as they discussed the recent barbaric massacre perpetrated by Hamas against Israelis.

Emhoff, who is married to Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke of the outrage he and the Vice President feel about the vicious attacks by Hamas terrorists, and expressed the connection he has as a Jew for Israel.

“There are no two sides to this issue. The images we saw will be seared into our brains forever,” he told the roundtable. “We see videos of these terrorists cheering on these atrocities.”

The Second Gentleman reminded the gathering how the president, vice president and secretary of state made clear that Israel has the unwavering support of the United States, and how many feel a deep fear these events will give rise to hate and anti-semitism. He reassured them that the administration is working with state, local, and federal leaders to implement a plan to combat anti-semitism.

President Biden joined the conversation and shared with them that he has been on the phone around the clock with our friends around the world to discuss what’s going on in Israel.

“Hamas has brought not just terror but sheer evil into the world. Among those killed are at least 22 American citizens,” he stated. “The attack was a campaign of cruelty against the Jewish people. I’d argue it’s the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. I refuse to be silent. We not only reject terrorism but it goes beyond rejecting terrorism.”

The president said he spoke with PM Netanyahu again on Wednesday morning, and added that he made it clear to the Iranians that they had better be careful. He guaranteed the Jewish leaders that they were working on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including the recovery effort, but excused himself that he could not share the details with others while sharing that Arab nations were trying to help as well.

“My commitment to Israel’s security and the safety of the Jewish people is unshakable,” the president said. “Downplaying of Hamas’s atrocities and blaming the Jewish people is unthinkable. We will condemn and combat antisemitism at every turn.”

President Biden showed emotion when he told the participants, “I took my kids, each time they turned 14-years old, I took them to Dachau. I wanted them to see. I wanted them to understand. It’s important.”

When a participant asked, “Where do you draw strength during this trying time?” the president replied, “My faith. It’s not about revenge. It’s basic decency. I know we can overcome this. If we persevere, we can grow. I just think that we stand true to our values, with every inch and bit of our energy.

The roundtable participants for the administration included Doug Emhoff, Jake Sullivan (Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs), and several other officials. Some of the Jewish community leaders were Rabbi Abba Cohen (of Agudath Israel of America), Nathan Diament (of the Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America), Rabbi Levi Shemtov (Lubavitch) and Avi Greenstein (BPJCC).

Avi Greenstein, CEO of Boro Park Jewish Community Council, told Hamodia that the consensus of opinion amongst the Jewish participants was that it was a tremendous opportunity for them to speak with the top administration officials, and the felt that those officials listened to their concerns and pledged to follow up with them in the future.

“It was noted that just 80 years ago, on October 6, 1943, some 400 Rabbis marched to the White House and were not granted a meeting with President Roosevelt,” Mr. Greenstein said. ” “Today, we were called down for a discussion where we were able to air our concerns, and we felt we had a listening ear from the administration.”