Washington:
President Joe Biden broke his virtual silence on the nationwide protests on the Gaza campus on Thursday, saying the United States was not authoritarian but emphasizing that “order must prevail.”
In a televised address from the White House, Biden added that there was “no place” for anti-Semitism on college campuses, which have been roiled by pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
The 81-year-old Democrat – whose re-election in November faces a challenge from anti-war voters – said there had to be a balance between the right to peaceful protest and the need to prevent violence.
“We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or stifle dissent,” Biden said from the podium in the White House's Roosevelt Room.
“But we are not a lawless country either,” Biden added. “We are a civil society and order must prevail.”
The US president also said the protests should not disrupt classes and graduation ceremonies for thousands of students on campuses across the United States.
Biden has faced criticism from all sides of the political spectrum over the protests, several of which have been broken up by police and dozens of people arrested in recent days.
Republicans have accused him of going soft on what they say is anti-Semitic sentiment among protesters, while he faces widespread opposition in his own party over his strong support for Israel's deadly military offensive.
“There should be no place for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students on any campus or in America,” Biden added.
“There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it be anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans,” he said.
“It's just wrong.”
His comments came after Israel's president said Thursday that American universities consumed by campus protests were “tainted by hatred and anti-Semitism.”
After his comments, Biden said “no” when asked whether the U.S. National Guard should intervene to break up the demonstrations.
He also said “no” on whether the protests would change his policy of strong support for Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the October 7 attacks on Israel.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)