Biden brings up Islamophobia amid the worst antisemitism outbreak in decades

‘There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab-Americans or Palestinian-Americans,’ Biden said

By Greg Wehner Fox News, May 3, 2024:

President Biden responds to campus protests: ‘Order must prevail’

President Biden says violent protesting and vandalism are not a protected right.

President Biden broke his silence and condemned violent protests shaking college campuses across the U.S. amid the worst antisemitism outbreak in decades and added that Islamophobia has no place in America.

“There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for antisemitism or threats of violence against Jewish students,” Biden said. “There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab-Americans or Palestinian-Americans. It’s simply wrong. There’s no place for racism in America. It’s all wrong. It’s un-American.”

Law enforcement sources indicated to Fox News Digital there has not been a spike in Islamophobia across the U.S., so when Biden summoned Islamophobia during his speech, it had some observers scratching their heads, including Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz.

“Why can’t President Biden simply denounce antisemitism without pandering to Muslims and Arabs?”
— Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz

“Why can’t President Biden simply denounce antisemitism without pandering to Muslims and Arabs,” Dershowitz posted on X, before later saying the crisis at hand was about antisemitism, discrimination and violence against Jews, not other groups. “Why won’t he just condemn Jew hatred?”

A new poll shows Biden with just a 41% approval rating. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Mobs of anti-Israel agitators have invaded college campuses and set up encampments, demanding the schools completely divest in supporting war efforts in Gaza. Jewish students report feeling threatened at Columbia, and a Jewish student was blocked from entering UCLA’s campus.

On Tuesday morning, anti-Israel agitators at Columbia University in New York City continued to call for the “intifada revolution,” chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” as a mob invaded and occupied an academic hall. That chant calls for the eradication of Israel.

A large sign at the University of Chicago’s anti-Israel encampment includes slogans like “Break open the gates, globalize the intifada” and “We will honor all our martyrs.” (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

It was not until the next night that university officials permitted the New York Police Department to enter university grounds and remove the agitators.

Agitators at the University of Chicago have also called to globalize the intifada.

Hugh Hewitt, host of “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” called Biden out in a social media post for taking two minutes and forty seconds to get to the hatred displayed against Jews before mixing in Islamophobia.

“It is a teleprompter, of course, but his writers are spent,” he said. “They don’t have the ability to compose, nor he to deliver, a forceful speech.”

[…]

He also addressed antisemitism on college campuses.

.@POTUS takes 2:40 to get to the hatred of Jews on full display. Shortly thereafter he mixes in, of course, Islamaphobia. It is teleprompter of course, but his writers are spent. They don’t have the ability to compose, nor he to deliver, a forceful speech. https://t.co/l7AjFdpQCH

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 2, 2024

“Jew hatred is the ancient evil, and it’s on dozens of campuses right now.”
— Hugh Hewitt

“Jew hatred is the ancient evil, and it’s on dozens of campuses right now,” Hewitt said. “That should be the president’s exclusive focus today, tomorrow and for as long as antisemitism is sweeping the country and would be if he wasn’t concerned with his re-election.”

Shortly after Biden made the remarks, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called the president “impotent” on social media.

“President Biden still won’t forcefully condemn the Hamas mobs on campuses. He’s terrified of them,” the senator said. “A complete lack of leadership from an impotent president.”

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., issued a statement to Fox News Digital on Biden’s remarks.

“To have any chance of winning Michigan in November, Joe Biden has made the political calculation that he needs to equivocate on Israel, equivocate on defending American Jews and equivocate on protecting Jewish students at universities,” Zeldin said. “Hamas sympathizers have taken over college campuses across this country calling for the death of Jews. Weak leadership is the play call at the White House, demonstrating an incredible lack of moral clarity and courage. This is a time to singularly, emphatically and powerfully condemn antisemitism.”

The FBI declined to comment about a rise in Islamophobia in the U.S., directing all questions on the matter to the White House.

The White House defended the president’s comments, backing them with instances in the news where Muslims were attacked.

“In Chicago, a 6-year-old child was brutally killed and his mother stabbed. Three college students of Palestinian descent, two of whom are American citizens, were shot in Vermont – paralyzing one,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said. “The FBI has sounded the alarm about rising crime and threats against Muslims, Arab Americans and Palestinian Americans in recent months. Appalling language, threats and violence have targeted the Muslim community.

“President Biden cares about the rights, dignity and safety of all Americans,” Bates added.

But others would not hold back, including Rich Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a nonprofit, non-partisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.