“A pure, unadulterated evil has been unleashed on this world.”
By World Israel News Staff
In an uncharacteristically angry address on Tuesday, President Joe Biden vehemently condemned the “sickening atrocities” carried out by Hamas in which more than 1,000 people, including 14 Americans, were killed and more than a hundred more in captivity.
This statement from the President comes three days after his initial video response to the attacks on Saturday. Biden faced criticism for what many perceived as a delayed reaction to the unfolding crisis, notably after hosting a staff barbecue on Sunday and remaining absent from the public eye on Monday.
However, in a speech punctuated by palpable fury, Biden spoke out about the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, cautioning that among those abducted by these militants were U.S. citizens.
“You know there are moments in this life — I mean this literally — when a pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world,” he said. “The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend.”
“The brutality of Hamas, this bloodthirstiness, brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS. This is terrorism. But sadly for the Jewish people, it’s not new. This attack has brought to the surface painful memories and the scars left by millennia of antisemitism and genocide of the Jewish people.”
Reiterating Israel’s “right to respond – indeed has a duty to respond to these vicious attacks,” Biden highlighted the U.S.’s ongoing support to Israel, including the provision of Iron Dome interceptors and ammunition. He further emphasized that the U.S. has “enhanced our military force posture in the region to strengthen our deterrence.”
“The Department of Defense has moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean and bolstered our fighter aircraft presence. And we stand ready to move in additional assets as needed,” President Biden stated.
President Biden also drew attention to measures being put in place to counter potential threats against Jewish targets within U.S. borders, with a specific focus on enhanced security at religious centers. “We’re also taking steps at home, in cities across the United States of America. Police departments have stepped up security around centers of Jewish life,” he noted.
“The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working closely with state and local law enforcement and Jewish community partners to identify and disrupt any domestic threat that could emerge in connection with these horrific attacks,” he added.
Following the President’s address, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel in the coming days.