Biden and Harris use October 7 anniversary to condemn anti-Semitism and commit to elimination of Hamas

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have marked the one year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel as a day of ‘mourning’ and endorsed the right of the Jewish state to defend itself.

US President Joe Biden. Picture: AFP

US President Joe Biden has used the one year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel to pay tribute to the “indomitable spirit of the Jewish people” and condemn the “vicious surge of anti-Semitism” around the world.

Mr Biden said that he and Vice-President Kamala Harris upheld the right of the Jewish state to defend itself and remained fully committed to the safety of Israel, its people and its right to exist.

In a statement issued early on Monday morning in America, Mr Biden said the day marked a year of “mourning for the more than 1,200 innocent people of all ages, including 46 Americans, massacred in southern Israel by the terrorist group Hamas.”

He referenced the “horrific acts of sexual violence” committed by the terror group and the taking of more than 250 hostages – including 12 Americans – which had led to “one year of a devastating war.”

“On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7th attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day,” Mr Biden said. “The October 7th attack brought to the surface painful memories left by millennia of hatred and violence against the Jewish people.”

In a separate statement, Ms Harris said she would “do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas.”

“I will never stop fighting for the release of all the hostages, including the seven American citizens, living and deceased, still held,” she said. “And I will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists like Hamas. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering.”

Mr Biden and first lady Jill Biden will mark the one year anniversary of the October 7 attack at the White House by lighting a yahrzeit candle – lit in memory of the dead – while Ms Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff will plant a memorial pomegranate tree at her Naval Observatory residence.

Donald Trump will start the day in New York where is expected to visit the gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson before travelling to Florida where he will address a gathering of Jewish leaders at his Doral golf resort.

Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance will mark the one year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by addressing a memorial rally being held in Washington DC to honour the victims of the massacre and raise awareness for the hostages and their families.

Mr Biden, who visited Israel after the attack and met with the families of hostages, said in his statement that the US would “never give up until we bring all of the remaining hostages home safely.”

“Vice-President Harris and I remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist. We support Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran,” he said.

Mr Biden also took aim at the uptick in “anti-Semitism in America and around the world”, declaring it was unacceptable as he urged for a show of unity to stand “against anti-Semitism and against hate in all its forms.”

He said October 7 would be remembered as a “dark day for the Palestinian people” because of the conflict unleashed by Hamas which had led to the deaths of “far too many civilians.” “Tens of thousands have been killed, a human toll made far worse by terrorists hiding and operating among innocent people,” he said. “We will not stop working to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza that brings the hostages home, allows for a surge in humanitarian aid to ease the suffering on the ground, assures Israel’s security, and ends this war.”

“We also continue to believe that a diplomatic solution across the Israel-Lebanon border region is the only path to restore lasting calm and allow residents on both sides to return safely to their homes.”

Ms Harris said she was “heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year,” declaring that it was “far past time for a hostage and ceasefire deal to end the suffering of innocent people.”

“I will always fight for the Palestinian people to be able to realise their right to dignity, freedom, security, and self-determination,” she said. “We also continue to believe that a diplomatic solution across the Israel-Lebanon border region is the only path to restore lasting calm and allow residents on both sides to return safely to their homes.”