President Joe Biden got it right on paper — condemning the surge of U.S. anti-Semitism — but tripped over his tongue in an off-the-cuff remark to a reporter.
His critics are calling it his “Charlottesville moment,” but that’s not quite right.
The “Charlottesville moment” refers to the statement made by President Donald J. Trump after the neonazi torchlight parade that resulted in the unfortunate death of an innocent woman.
When Trump was quoted as saying “there are very fine people on both sides,” his critics said he was siding with the far-right extremists, which he actually had rejected.
His comment was about the issue that created the flash point, the removal of Confederate statues. That was the issue for which he saw very fine people on both sides.
Biden’s oral statement was different from the anti-Semitic statement that had been put out by the White House. That statement spoke of “the alarming surge of anti-Semitism — in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity. Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant anti-Semitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
He prefaced this by noting “the horror of Hamas’ despicable atrocities” on Oct. 7, along with America’s efforts to free the hostages through a ceasefire and to deliver “desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.” Keep this in mind.
Following remarks on Earth Day a reporter asked Biden if he condemned anti-Semitism on campuses. He said he did, but then added, “I also condemn those who don’t understand what is going on with the Palestinians.”
Splat.
First off, he is equating anti-Semites who chant “We are Hamas,” with people (and there are a lot of them) who are unschooled in the decades-long mess in the Mideast. Theirs is passive ignorance, as opposed to the sincere, active, willful hate of the anti-Semites.
The two parties are nothing alike.
While I did explain what Trump actually was talking about, I am puzzled by precisely what Biden meant when he said “what is going on with the Palestinians.”
Was he trying to be even-handed?
Did he mean the Oct. 7 atrocities that he had condemned?
Did he mean the 33,000 killed by Israel in its efforts to hunt down and kill the perpetrators of the greatest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust — words that Biden himself used in his written statement?
Did he mean the starvation that is facing Gazans?
Connecting the statement about anti-Semitism with the Palestinians was a kind of whataboutism, which can be used to put things in context.
That’s not how it came out.
It was kind of like, “Slavery was bad, but…”
Never a good look.
Even worse, Biden closed with a mention of the Palestinians, and any writer will tell you to choose how you close very carefully, as that is the thing most people will remember.
It was mentally careless, and now it is being used against him.
At the very least, he’s being accused of being political, and thinking about the Muslim vote, especially in the swing state of Michigan.
I have no doubt that Biden is a sincere friend of Israel, he always has been. His voting record proves that.
He is not a sincere friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, whose heavy-handed conduct of the war has resulted in more deaths in Gaza than it had to.
And those deaths have ignited protests on college campuses and elsewhere, causing Israel a loss of prestige and public opinion.
And while all that is true, it does not justify anti-Semitism, and Biden can do himself a favor by making a public, in-person statement saying just that, and nothing more.
I think with Biden it is a case of his handlers not anticipating how much he wants to get his message out about his feelings. They, his handlers, want to send the strong party line, and he is trying to get his thoughts out of his cluttered mind. I truly believe that they are committing a form of elder abuse probing him up to make statements. A serious look at his declining health is in order.
Don’t we want a president who is a leader and not someone controlled by his unelected handlers.
I don’t know who’s running the country but it certainly isn’t Biden. The man is a mindless zombie. If he was in his right mind he would tell us why he changed Trumps border policies. He would tell us why he thought it was good for the country. He could tell us many things about what’s going wrong but he can’t. The man cannot think on his feet he has to read the teleprompter or his written notes. He could do himself a big favor and prove his critics wrong if he was more transparent and debated the issues and defended his presidency. But he can’t.
I guess you’ve met and spoken to Biden? Because if you haven’t, you are simply parroting what you see on Faux “News”. I mean, puhlease. Your orange god fucks up virtually every time he opens his mouth, and most of what he says are lies anyway. Do not even try to compare the two. At the least, Biden has surrounded himself with a vibrant team of professionals who know how to do their jobs, while the orange asshole surrounded himself with sycophants and family members who’s main goal seemed to be to enrich themselves. For reference, please discuss the HUGE dollars that Jared Kushner collected from the Saudis after he was booted out of the White House. You guys simply do not produce enough common sense to take you seriously. It’s a joke.
Biden has surrounded himself with a vibrant team of professionals. What a joke. Our borders are wide open we are paying for 2 unnecessary wars interest rates are thru the roof high inflation. I could go on and on. What planet do you live on. The country and the world were in a better place under Trump.
Remind me again.
How many Cabinet level people have been fired by Biden vs Trump?
How many of Biden’s children and in laws work directly for him in the White House who could not pass multiple background checks?
How many indictments is Biden facing?
Which election did Biden try to nullify?
Trump was the chief executive of the United States. It’s his decision to fire anyone he wants. It’s called leadership. All of Trumps children and in-laws did great jobs. The only thing saving Biden and his family from being indicted is his corrupt justice department. And his corrupt justice department is causing election interference with these bullshit cases against Trump. The American people know what’s going on.
“The American people know what’s going on.” True, which is to say that they know the cases against Trump are anything but bullshit. (Certainly his lawyers know they are not. His chief lawyer, Eastman, asked to to be put on the pardon list. His lawyers Chesbro, Ellis and Powell have already pleaded guilty in Georgia. His chief of staff, Meadows, while not a lawyer, took an immunity deal from the special prosecutor.)
Jared certainly did a great job of feathering his own nest with $2 billion from middle east monarchies, including Qatar, the friendly home to Hamas leadership. Makes Hunter look like a piker. Ivanka got trademarks from the friendly Chinese, to boot.
Just like their Dad, they can be bought. Trump, who once tried to ban Tik Tok, now loves it and the Chinese Communist Party since he got some campaign goodies from Yass, its American stockholder.
We already know he’ll do anything for Putin’s smile, and is dying to sell the Ukrainians down the river.
If you listen to MAGA stars, Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz, MTG, Boebert, Biggs etc., Israel won’t be far behind.They want Israel dumped. Trump already said he would have called Netanyahu and told him to end the Gaza invasion. It’s all of a piece with Trump’s love affair with the Russia-Iran-China axis.
Why don’t you listen to all the calls from inside the house, from people who agreed with his policies, but were horrified that he was an irrational “moron” “idiot” “kindergartner” and the like when it comes to foreign policy. Tillerson, General Kelly, General Millie, General Mattis, Bolton, McMaster, Esper, Pence, Haley, Christie and a host of lesser White House and diplomatic staff–all of them agree he is a danger to national security.
Why do you want to change the US from the leader of the free world into Putin’s patsy and China’s chump? (You think Putin is so pro-Trump because he’s gonna thwart Russia’s ambitions?)
The 2018 NATO meeting was supposed to discuss Russia’s encroachment on Ukraine, but Trump changed all that with threats to pull out of NATO. If you’re Russia, what’s not to like?
You also still haven’t explained why people should vote to end the Affordable Care Act, as Trump promises to do. Throw millions off their health insurance, that’ll keep everybody “safe.”
Just like he bungled the Covid crisis, with us ending up with 40% higher mortality than other developed countries. Remember his “policy”? “Oh, it will go away by itself in a month or two.” Just what we need, an anti-health president.
Then again, if you really hate unions, I can see why Trump is your guy. Last time he stacked the National Labor Relations Board with anti-union lawyers and lobbyists. Biden is just too pro union. I get it. As Trump said in 2016 “Wages are too high.”
All you got is the fact that he inherited the Obama recovery and a relatively stable world stage that was managed by the folks who he fired one after the other until the situation was frozen by Covid at the end of his term, before he could eff it up.
And, he upped the deficit more in his four years than the “socialist” Obama did in 8 combined with Bush’s last 4 years. More deficit growth in 4 years than the previous 12. Of course we got a sugar high.
Unfortunately, an election is not a time machine that will send us all back 8 years to pre-Covid, pre-Trump deficit and a Trump constrained by competent non-yes men, instead of the sycophants, conspiracy theorists, liars and grifters that he now insists must be his only staff. Even Ivanka and Jared want nothing more to do with him.
But I’ll make it easy on you. Just tell me one thing: why it would be “great” to repeal the Affordable Care Act? I don’t get it.
The country and the world were in a better place under Trump. Only someone blinded by hate would deny that. Greater legal minds than yours have said these cases against Trump are bullshit. Jared and Ivanka made money with legitimate businesses. The Biden family could clear the air quickly if they told us what services or products they provided to earn their millions. I think they sold their fathers influence. The affordable care act should be replaced because it’s not affordable. And all those disgruntled employees fired by Trump are pissed off because their big egos were deflated. Trump was elected president not them. And If you are fair you know he did a good job. A lot better than Biden.
Time machine again. We should have reelected Hoover over FDR. No WWII, yay!
Trump’s lawyers are pleading guilty in “BS” cases. Why is that?
And, apparently, no other president ever had folks with “big egos” heading up their departments, or as national security advisors. Yet, as Trump would say, “nobody’s ever seen” such a huge number of generals, department secretaries, and appointees warn the American people about a president.
Somehow, these are all just “disgruntled” employees making stuff up to get revenge. Not a single patriotic, public-spirited, serious or even honest person among them. So, being in armed forces doesn’t build character–it eliminates it? Good thing Trump dodged the draft.
Repeal the Affordable Care Act, and replace with what? Can you give me a link to Trump’s plan? He tried to repeal it without one before. It’s now been years since “Repeal and Replace” became a joke.
What fantasy world do you live in?
One more question. What made Trump go from trying to ban Tik Tok by executive order, to becoming its booster? New information, or just a campaign contribution?
Seems to me, he’s fine to see the Chinese Communist Party gain, so long as it benefits him personally. Great guy to have in power: “Me first, America last.”
For a Russian you have an interesting command of American English. Your FSB trainers must be very proud of you.
Is that the best you can come up with. Go back to your crack pipe you crack pot.
How was America better under Trump? Provide specific examples.
Remember the Whistleblower the Republicans had who they claimed that Hunter Biden was peddling influence? When he testified he stated there was no influence peddling.
I have met Biden but it was years ago. He’s always been a lying asshole.
Thank you, Stu.
👍
The Jews are the source of all the problems in the Middle East…insisting on a right to exist and defending themselves when attacked. Such chutzpah!
Excellent and correct sarcasm there, Vince!
The hatred is coming from Trump and supporters like you. It was Trump who stated that American Jew were disloyal if they did not vote for Republicans. It was the Putin wing of the House including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Bobert, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jones, and others who tired to stop an aid package to Israel. It was Fox News that promoted Pizzagate, which is nothing more than a rehashing of the Jewish Blood Libel myth. These are the people who have the power to attack Jews, those college students are more than sheep in wolves clothing.
As an American and a Jew I find these protests disturbing. The real threat is from Trump, a man with tens of millions of followers. It was Trump who stated that American Jews were disloyal if they did not vote Republican, who had dinner with White Supremacists at the White House, who refused to disavow the Proud Boys and told them to “stand by and stand back”. This is what antisemitism looks like
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is nothing more than another nationalist like Trump and I do not support him.
What disturbs me the even more is Mr. Bykofsky’s lack of understanding as to how the First Amendment works and that he wants to criminalize speech he does not approve. Trying to return us to the era of Senator Joseph McCarty.
I’m sure prime minister Netanyahu can’t sleep at night knowing Judah disagrees with him. I don’t know if you noticed but all the hatred for the Jews is coming from the democrats.
A Commie Democrat?? That’s rich coming from a fascist. The Republicans have become a cult of Trump. Complete with his daughter in law in control of the RNC, Trump sabotaging joint compromise bills, using campaign funds to pay his legal bills, and Trump levying a 5% extortion fee on any politician who uses his image.
It seems the pro Palestinian demonstrations started before Israeli retaliation, as if
they were warned in advance that something big was going to happen.
My recollection was it started 10/8, but you suspicion seems to have validity.
Biden also recently made another gaffe after he appeared to imply that cannibals ate his uncle’s body in Papua New Guinea during WW2. The PNG PM was ticked off.
Good one.
While I encourage allowing people to express their position, might I offer a suggestion that on a single blog, commenters be limited to only 3 posts. I suspect that Daniel might feel like he is in an opinion lion’s den and continuously lash out. If constrained to only 3 comments, perhaps he’ll exercise more thought to making his comments.
Your free to disagree with me but don’t censor me. You must be one of the new commie democrats taking over your party. I wish the old tradional democrats would wake up and see their party doesn’t belong to them anymore.
A Commie Democrat?? That’s rich coming from a fascist. The Republicans have become a cult of Trump. Complete with his daughter in law in control of the RNC, Trump sabotaging joint compromise bills, using campaign funds to pay his legal bills, and Trump levying a 5% extortion fee on any politician who uses his image.
Daniel and Judah are the worst offenders. As I am a foe of cancel culture, I will not block them. Imposing a limit might be tough to enforce. I will count on everyone else to tell them to STFU.
👍
Biden has always been a gaffe machine. It strikes me more as a non-sequitur than as any kind of justification. As Stu says, it’s muddled. (Stu does tend to lean over backward to try to be fair to Trump–the context of “very fine people” was not as clear as it might have been, or as clear as it should have been. However it was meant, it was at best, a stupid gaffe.)
What is utterly puzzling is the “don’t understand” part. It is one thing if one knows about the humanitarian issues in Gaza and says “Hurray! Kill more civilians! Wipe ’em all out.”–which would be worthy of condemnation. While it is another if someone just doesn’t know what’s happening. It does not even make sense.
I suspect that what he was trying to say was, just because a bunch of antisemitic a-holes are using the Gaza war as an excuse to peddle hate, does not mean that we shouldn’t try to understand the humanitarian issues in Gaza that actually do exist. That is, as Stu says, Netanyahu’s “heavy-handed conduct of the war has resulted in more deaths in Gaza than it had to” plus the real risk of famine.There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.
One piece of good news is that even some participants in the demonstrations condemned the antisemitic behavior. The Columbia Law Students for Palestine wrote: “Columbia Law Students for Palestine would like to unequivocally condemn the antisemitic incidents that occurred at last night’s protests…” https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Coc4UuMnN/?igsh=NzgyYTk0Y2YyNg%3D%3D&img_index=1 Even surrounded by the woke gobblety-gook on the rest of its page, it’s nice to see. Wrong, or even crazy is one thing, evil is another.
Tom – if you remember, Old Joe, while he was a longtime (too long) senator from DE, was also locally known in the area around here as The Village Idiot – for all the gaffes he continually made. When this issue started up again when he became VP, All The President’s Men went to great lengths to get him to keep his mouth shut for nearly 8 years. Now as Prez and that much older, he can barely keep the thoughts together. So – which is the lesser of two evils? I think I know, and, of course, Nov will be that deciding answer.
Stu was telling the truth when he said Trump rejected the far right extremists. I suspect you never heard the speech and you only saw sound bites from the corrupt mainstream media. It was not a stupid gaffe by Trump but a smart observation. You have a problem with the truth. Stu and I may disagree but I find him fair minded and honest.
I watched the debates when Trump refused to distance himself from the Proud Boys and told them to “stand by and stand back”. The White Supremacists who he had for dinner were photographed at the White House. He got hit with the largest fine on record for refusing to rent apartments to people of color. He still believes the Central Park 5 are guilty even though DNA evidence has proved their innocence. And there was only one good group of people at Charlottesville, the one who wanted statues of traitors removed.
I agree with Vince’s statement and the first one Randy wrote. I don’t think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war is heavy handed. Hamas has to be eliminated in Gaza. Otherwise there will be many more violent attacks (pogroms) against Israel. Hamas = Nazism.
I agree that Hamas are Nazis. Unfortunately, while they can be militarily defeated, weakened or removed from power, they can’t be “eliminated.” Heck, we’ve still got Nazis.
Their leadership is Qatar, their funding comes from Iran. What, exactly, would “eliminating” them look like? And what would the price be?
Stu, how do you know what Trump was actually talking about with his both sides comment? Sounds like you were putting your own interpretation (spin) on the comment.
Let’s start this way — you would be rejected as a Trump juror, for cause.
At the time of the incident, I spent a LOT of time running down the TEXT of BOTH statements he made, because video can be edited. Despite his loopy speech pattern, after reading the texts, there is NO question the “very fine” people were on the two sides of the statue controversy.
There is also NO question he, however briefly, condemned the neonazis.
I would be rejected from the Trump jury pool because I would tell the lawyers immediately that I hate Trump with a passion.
That’s exactly what I mean, which makes you a poor judge of ANYTHING related to Trump.