WASHINGTON, D.C (SDJW) — President Joe Biden announced to a Joint Session of Congress assembled for his State of the Union speech on Thursday night that he has “directed the military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean off the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.”
“A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day,” the President said, adding that this course of action can be accomplished without sending American troops into the war zone.
“Israel must do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire.
“We are announcing that we are going to have a crossing into northern Gaza,” Biden said. Currently, the only land crossing for aid to flow into Gaza is at Rafah, adjacent to Egypt, in the southern part of the coastal enclave. “To the leadership of Israel, I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.”
The President laid out the history and the consequences of the Gaza War.
“I know the last five months have been gut-wrenching for so many people, for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people, and so many here in America,” he pointed out. “This crisis began on Oct. 7th with the massacre by a terrorist group called Hamas, as you all well know, of 1,200 innocent people, women and girls, men and boys, slaughtered after enduring sexual violence — the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and 250 hostages taken.
“Here in this [House of Representatives] Chamber tonight are families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas,” Biden said. “I pledge to all the families that I will not rest until we bring every one of your loved ones home. Israel has the right to go after Hamas. Hamas could end this conflict by releasing hostages, laying down arms, and surrendering those responsible for Oct. 7th. Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards under hospitals, day care centers and all the like.”
Pivoting to the another aspect of the conflict, Biden commented: “Israel also has a fundamental responsibility though to protect innocent civilians in Gaza. This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of whom are not Hamas.”
“Thousands and thousands of innocent women and children and girls and boys also orphaned,” he continued. “Nearly two million poor Palestinians under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighbors in rubble, cities in ruin, families without food or water or medicine. It is heartbreaking.”
“I have been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that will last for six weeks to get all the hostages released, to get the hostages home and ease the intolerable, humanitarian crisis and build toward something more enduring. The United states will lead an international (effort) to get more humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”
After explaining that he had ordered the military to build a floating pier off the coast — an effort that the military says will take between one and two months, Biden turned to what he described as “the only real solution,” which he said was a two-state solution.
“I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel my entire career. No one has a stronger record on Israel than I do, I challenge any of you here. I am the only American president to visit Israel during wartime, but there is no other path that guarantees Israel’s security and democracy. There is no other path that guarantees that Palestinians can live with peace and dignity. And there is no other path that guarantees peace between Israel and all of its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, with whom I am talking.
“Creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran. That’s why I have built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. I’ve ordered strikes to degrade the Houthi capability, and to defend U.S. forces in the region. As commandeer in chief I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military personnel.”
While speaking of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the President also said that he is working to free two Americans held in prisons by Russia on accusations of espionage: Evan Gershkovitch, a member of the Jewish community whose parents watched Biden from the balcony; and Paul Whelan.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) delivered the Republican response to Biden’s STate of the Union message. She said that under The President’s foreign policy, “We’ve become a nation in retreat. And the enemies of freedom see an opportunity.”
Among these enemies, she said, is Iran whose “terrorist proxies have slaughtered Israeli Jews and American citizens. They’ve targeted commercial shipping. And they’ve attacked our troops nearly 200 times since October, killing three U.S. soldiers and two Navy SEALS.”
In other Israel-Gaza developments:
–Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said that “In the last two weeks, an average of 102 food shipments food shipments have arrived in the Gaza Strip every day. That is almost 50% more than before Hamas started the war on October 7.” Levy said there were false reports that Israel had been restricting the amount of aid deliveries. “There are no restrictions, I repeat: none.” The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that in February only half of the 224 aid convoys reached he areas for which they were intended. The U.N. office said the lack of Israeli support held up the other deliveries.
–Representatives of Jewish communities in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as the J7, met with United Nations Secretary General Antoni Guterres at U.N. headquarters in New York, calling for “U.N. action in response to the explosion of antisemitism across the globe, which threatens Jewish communities everywhere. We urged the Secretary General to use the power of his position to work for the immediate release of the 134 hostages still being held in Gaza, and to address the systemic failures of UNRWA, including its inherent anti-Israel bias and the shocking revelations that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 atrocities.” The statement from the group, formally known as the Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism, reported that “the Secretary General expressed his commitment to doing all he can to work for the immediate release of all the hostages held by Hamas and showed great empathy for the hostages and their families. He condemned all forms of antisemitism, and asserted unequivocally that there is no justification for the Hamas attack on October 7.”
–In an interview with the Jewish News Syndicate, conducted prior to President Biden’s State of the Union address, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer said: “Anybody talking about a Palestinian state right now is living on another planet because it will be the greatest reward for terrorism. That the international community will reward somebody for doing what was done on Oct. 7; would be a complete disaster. If tomorrow, there would be a Palestinian state, it would be a clear and present danger to the Jewish state.”
–A delegation of Israelis headed by Interior Minister Moshe Arbel traveled to India to attend funeral rites for Patribin Maxwell, 31, an Indian national who was killed by a Hezbollah rocket that landed on the Margaliot, Israel orchard where he worked. The Israeli embassy in New Delhi said in a statement: “Israel regards equally all nationals, Israeli or foreign, who are injured or killed due to terrorism. We will be there to support the families and assist them. Our countries, who are sadly well versed in civilian loss, stand united in hopes of a speedy recovery for the injured and solace for the families of the bereaved.”
–Shake Shack, following its introduction in Israel last week, is now the target of pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel forces who have called for the boycott of the U.S. fast food chain. McDonalds and Starbucks, which also do business in Israel, have faced similar boycott calls. The Israeli franchises are owned by the Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, which also markets Starbucks franchises in the region. The Starbucks boycott has had its effect, with Alshaya announcing layoffs that will put approximately 2,000 people out of work across the Middle East and North Africa.
–Nineteen women are among the 134 hostages remaining in Gaza, among them Tal Shoham, 39. At a news conference in London, her cousin Inbal Zach, told reporters: “As a woman I’m terrified for them — and terrified for everyone. If there are ladies who are pregant (as a result of rape), it’s five months now. Maybe they will soon havea baby to someone from Hamas. I’m also terrified for the men.”
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SDJW staff