WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Makes Powerful, Heartfelt Statements of Support for Israel, Condemns Terrorist Attacks

President Biden has delivered a clear message to the American people and the world: we are in solidarity with the people of Israel and our nation strongly supports Israel's defense. Israeli officials, community leaders, advocates, and others have praised President Biden's leadership, and his powerful and heartfelt support for Israel.

Israeli Leaders

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "'Mr. President, Joe, I want to thank you for you continued and unequivocal support and the work of your entire administration to support us." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Government of Israel: "Thank you @POTUS for your friendship, and for your unwavering support, today and always. All of us in Israel are strengthened and moved by your words." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

President Isaac Herzog: On behalf of the entire people of Israel, thank you @POTUS Joe Biden. You have shown once again what a great friend you are of Israel, its people, and the Jewish People as a whole. We are truly grateful. [Tweet, 10/11/23]

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid: "Thank you President Biden." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai: "Tonight we light City Hall in recognition of the steadfast support from President Joe Biden and the entire United States following the horrific attack on our country. To my friends in the US and all over the world: we will always remember who stood by us during our darkest hour." [Tweet, 10/11/23]

Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz: "President Biden, 50 years after your first visit to Israel as a young Senator, your support for Israel has remained steadfast and ironclad. This evening, I want to thank you and the administration wholeheartedly for your unwavering support and regional leadership." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren: "President Biden's speech was the most passionately pro-Israel in history. The president stood four square behind the Jewish state and the Jewish people and unequivocally against terror and anti-Semitism, and pledged the power of the US to our defense. Our people will always remember and cherish this speech and the man who delivered it." #biden #proisrael #israel #dismantlehamas #israel #warinisrael [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Knesset member Ohad Tal: "As the chairman of the Israel-USA relations caucus I would like to thank president Biden for a remarkably important speech. Quoting his own words to our enemies, we must emphasize once again - do not test us. We will win this war!" [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and Knesset member Danny Danon: "We are very grateful for the word of President Biden. It was remarkable and emotional speech, and I think it was needed. At the time where we are today, where we are still counting the number of the victims. We are burying our friends to see the love and the support. We appreciate that. And we believe that President Biden, he actually intends to stand behind these walls and to support Israel. [Interview, 10/10/23]

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak: "I should tell you that it's very encouraging to Israelis to hear now, hear just how President Biden, I happen to know him for more than 40 years. I'm a half-year older than him. And it was a great speech, a great speech, not just as a American leader, as a leader of the free world, not just on statesmanship and geopolitics, but on a more, as a moral beacon, once again, standing clear and on the right side of history, on the right side of humanity. And it's great encouragement to Israelis and probably a very good signal to our neighbors." [Interview, 10/10/23]

Community and Advocacy Organizations

AIPAC: "Thank you @POTUS @JoeBiden for your leadership, moral clarity, and steadfast support of our ally Israel as it acts to protect its citizens from Hamas terrorism. Allies stand together. #StandWithIsrael" [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Israel Policy Forum: "We commend President Biden for his unwavering and heartfelt defense of and support for Israel and the Israeli people. Saturday's attack was unprecedented in its scope and brutality, and the president's comments reflected the emotional outpouring of support that Americans have for Israel in this difficult time." [Statement, 10/10/2023]

American Jewish Committee: ".@POTUS Biden, your words brought tears to our eyes. In moments as dark as this, we need clear-headed leadership to bring light. We stand with Israel." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Ronald Lauder, World Jewish Congress: "Thank you for the prompt and decisive support to the IDF and the only democracy in the Middle East. The @POTUS administration commitment to Israel's right to defend itself, coupled with the swift dispatch of essential resources, reflects our unwavering partnership." [Tweet, 10/9/23]

Orthodox Union Advocacy Center: "@POTUS' words carry the weight of not only America's friendship—but it's unmatched military might" [Tweet, 10/11/23]

Anti-Defamation League: "Thank you, @POTUS, for your commitment to the US-Israel bond during their time of need, your recognition that 'Israel has a right and duty to respond,' and your commitment to keeping the Jewish community safe. As you said, 'Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear.'" [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Nathan Diament, Executive Director of Public Policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America: "May we please say thank you. 80 years ago this week, 80 years ago this week, a group of 400 Rabbis came to Washington hoping to meet with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and appeal to him to act to rescue the Jews that were being persecuted in Europe. And they were refused a meeting with President Roosevelt, and they were refused entry to the White House. And the fact that we are here today and that you have spoken as the President of the United States so clearly in support of Israel, so clearly in support of the Jewish people, and so -- welcomed leaders in the Jewish community into the White House for this discussion shows what a dramatic distance we've traveled in these United States. How we as the Jewish community are blessed to live today in these United States and we thank you for your leadership and your moral clarity." [Clip, 10/11/23]

Abraham Foxman, ADL Director Emeritus: "THANK YOU PRESIDENT BIDEN! THANK YOU PRESIDENT BIDEN for your compassion, your understanding of history , your moral compass, your values and your steadfast support of the State and people of Israel!" [Tweet, 10/10/23]

B'nai B'rith International: "We commend President Joe Biden for delivering today an extraordinary statement of support for Israel. He did not recoil from details of the barbarity of the attacks, noting parents were bludgeoned protecting their children, entire families were slain, and women were raped, assaulted and paraded. He said Hamas acted in violation of every code of human decency. He clearly labeled Hamas as the terror group it is, stating Hamas offers nothing but 'terror and bloodshed' and that it has no regard for who pays the price. And he stressed, 'Israel has the right, indeed the duty, to respond' to these vicious attacks." [Statement, 10/10/23]

Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations: "We appreciate universal condemnation of the attack by the international community, including Pres. Biden's strong statement recognizing Israel's inherent right to self-defense." [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism: "The universal, bipartisan support for Israel as she fights against Hamas' horrific attacks reflects the enduring and unwavering strength of the US-Israel relationship. Thank you, @POTUS" [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Democratic Majority for Israel: "@POTUS @JoeBiden delivered a passionate speech supporting Israel and condemning Hamas. Very impressive and very welcome." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Halie Soifer, CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America: "We at JDCA are grieving, mourning, and still in a state of shock following Israel's immeasurable losses at the hands of Hamas, but we are also grateful for the unwavering American support of Israel in this moment of crisis." [Tweet, 10/11/2023]

Amy Spitalnick, Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO: "Thank you @POTUS for speaking with moral clarity at a time when it's sorely needed — and channeling the pain so many of us are feeling." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Jewish Federations of North America: "Thank you for speaking the truth, President Biden. When Hamas attacked Israel, it was an outrageous act of evil. Innocent people were slaughtered. Children and elderly people were kidnapped. Families have been ripped apart. #SupportIsrael" [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

The Jewish Democratic Council of America: "This is real leadership. President Biden is a champion for the U.S.-Israel relationship. With the onslaught of horrific news, here is your timeline cleanse. Watch President Biden in action." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers: "Thank you @Potus. You made clear why the US is standing with the Israeli people. Thank you for spelling out the atrocities and hate so many Israeli civilians endured at the hands of Hamas. And thank you for raising the hostages." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Journalists

Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic: "They say never read the comments, but sometimes, you find something remarkable there. Israel's version of Fox News, which has aired anti-Biden conspiracy theories, posted the video of Biden's speech condemning Hamas's massacre. The comments are filled with emotional appreciation." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

John Podhoretz, Commentary.org: "Give credit where credit is due: This afternoon, Joe Biden gave what might be the most powerful statement in support of Israel ever delivered by any president." [Statement, 10/10/2023]

Jacob Kornbluh, The Forward: "This is the most genuinely pro-Israel speech an American president could give." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Joshua Kraushaar, Axios: "Very strong speech from President Biden, clearly laying out the moral and geostrategic stakes." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Tom Friedman, New York Times: "[President Biden] put the western alliance together around Ukraine. He's putting an alliance together now on Israel... No one had to write that speech for him. I can't think of a single Democrat let alone a Republican who could give that speech, that way, at this time." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Barak Ravid, Axios: "Biden's address — carried live by all major news networks —was perhaps the most powerful statement of support for Israel by a sitting U.S. president since Harry Truman recognized the Jewish state in 1948." [Tweet, 10/10/2023]

Barak Ravid, Axios: "Huge ratings for Biden's speech in Israel: 48% of Israeli households watched Biden's address on TV. This doesn't include streaming on the Internet or YouTube." [Tweet, 10/11/2023]

Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post: "Israelis, I think, were warmed, heart warmed, blown away, maybe even by the speech, which really was strong, made it clear that there is no daylight between the United States and Israel right now. Made it clear that the President of the United States is doing everything that he can to stand by Israel." [Interview, 10/10/2023]

Business Leaders

Yaron Samid, Founder and Managing Partner, Tech Aviv: "In my 50 years, I have never been more proud to be an American. President Biden's remarkable speech moments ago will go down in history as one of his best ever and the most impactful support of Israel's right to defend itself 'decisively and overwhelming' against those bent on its destruction. Thank you, @POTUS, for your world leadership. Biden: 'There are moments in this life when the pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend. The bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose is to kill Jews. This was an act of sheer evil. So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand with Israel. There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse. Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination.' There is no mincing words: HAMAS = ISIS, and we will dismantle and destroy them accordingly. Decide what side of history you are on as we do. FULL SPEECH BELOW #HamasISIS #Israel_under_attack #AmIsraelChai" [Tweet, 10/10/23]

Bill Ackman, CEO, Pershing Square: "President Biden @POTUS delivers remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict — 10/10/23. This is a great speech which should be heard and whose commitments must be kept." [Tweet, 10/10/23]