President Joe Biden spoke to the American people on the evening of his return from Israel following the horrific attack by Hamas that slaughtered over 1,300 people and took scores hostage.
The President noted that the “pure unadulterated evil” unleashed by Hamas “echoes nearly 20 months of war, tragedy and brutality inflicted on the people of Ukraine – people that were very badly hurt since Putin launched his all-out invasion:”
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: they both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy – completely annihilate it,” he said.
“Hamas – its stated purpose for existing is the destruction of the State of Israel and the murder of Jewish people. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.”
Meanwhile Putin, said President Biden, is responsible for mass Ukrainian graves and the forcible separation of thousands of Ukrainian children from their families; Putin denies that Ukraine has or ever had real statehood.
“Making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed,” the President said, “is vital for America’s national security.”
“History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising,” he said.
“American leadership is what holds the world together,” said President Biden. “American alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. To put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel, it’s just not worth it.”
To fund America’s national security needs and to support its critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine, the President is sending an urgent budget request to Congress.
“We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win,” said President Biden. “I refuse to let that happen.”
