Tonight, President Joseph Biden issued a declaration of unity. In recent years and in the shadow of unrest; political polarization and violence has wreaked havoc throughout our country. In response to the President’s remarks, The American Jewish Congress applauds President Biden for his leadership, and concurs that hate must bear no safe harbor in these United States. 

Every day, antisemitism, domestic extremism, and violence as a whole craft a crater that divides our communities. From mass shootings that impact the innocent, to the clear and present dangers faced by Jewish communities around the nation, and everything in between, the time to sit idly by has passed. As the President proclaimed, we must unite to defeat the hate that plagues our world, come together to tackle the injustices too many have come to know, and eradicate the dangerous ideologies that metastasize into violence. 

During the President’s address, he reminded us of our recent history that proves the need for action. From the acts of white supremacists in Charlottesville sending chilling shakes down our spines, to their counter parts and neo-Nazis levying sheer disbelief in what was waged during the events of January 6th; these events are no longer at a fear of coming to fruition. Regrettably, that fear has already arrived. As such, the need for unity and tolerance is more critical than ever before, and the American Jewish Congress is working hard to contribute in that fight, day in and day out. 

Friends, Democracy is the only cure to combating these violent notions once and for all, and we must do so to uphold the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness we are all promised as Americans. However, as we heard tonight, “Democracy only endures if we accept the guardrails of the republic” and “if we see politics not as total war but rather mediation of our differences.” Few times, have truer words ever been said.

Last modified: October 4, 2022