'What about anti-Americanism?': Trolls attack Joe Biden after POTUS's heartfelt anti-hate post goes viral
WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden faced pushback on social media after he delivered an Oval Office address on the evening of Thursday, October 19, 2023, addressing issues surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict and rising concerns about antisemitism and Islamophobia.
The President's speech was a response to the recent violence in the Middle East and the tragic killing of a Palestinian-American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume, which occurred in Illinois over the weekend, ABC News reported.
Joe Biden's call for unity
Biden commenced his address by emphasizing the importance of supporting both Israel and Ukraine, insisting that such support was in the best interest of the United States. He acknowledged the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"Today, Jewish families worried about being targeted in school, wearing symbols of their faith walking down the street, or going out about their daily lives," President Biden declared.
He continued, "And I know many of you in the Muslim-American community, the Arab-American community, the Palestinian-American community, and so many others, are outraged, saying to yourself, here we go again with Islamophobia and distrust we saw after 9/11."
The President then went on to address the specific tragedy of young Wadea Al-Fayoume, whose life was brutally taken away. Wadea was a 6-year-old boy who lost his life in a horrific act of violence.
Prosecutors revealed that the attack was motivated by hatred of Muslims amidst the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
"We must without equivocation denounce antisemitism. We must also without equivocation denounce Islamophobia," Biden stated emphatically.
He continued, "And to all of you hurting… I want you to know I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you. You’re all America."
We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 20, 2023
We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.
To all of you hurting, I want you to know: I see you. You belong.
Trolls attack Biden after his address
However, President Biden's message did not go unchallenged on social media.
"But extreme MAGA bad…," one responded on X, formerly Twitter.
"Why do you sound like a 23-year-old SJW writing fortune cookies?" another quipped.
"I’d rather we denounce without equivocation Anti-Americanism," a comment read.
"What’s going on with the missing Americans Joe?" someone else added.
"Get our citizens back and stop being weak," another chimed in.
Why do you sound like a 23 year old SJW writing fortune cookies?
— CPanther95 🇺🇸 (@CPanther95) October 20, 2023
I’d rather we denounce without equivocation Anti-Americanism
— 🔥🗽KLo🔥🗽REPENTANT NORTH CAROLINIAN (@firestick411) October 20, 2023
Nevertheless, Biden's address had a clear goal. It laid the foundation for a substantial foreign aid proposal that the President intends to send to Congress in support of Israel and Ukraine.
The focus of this proposal is to strengthen their defense capabilities, particularly in a volatile international environment.
Before his address, President Biden had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who expressed his gratitude for the ongoing support from the United States.
Message of condolences
After the address, the White House issued a statement indicating that President Biden and the First Lady spoke with the father and uncle of Wadea Al-Fayoume, and conveyed their condolences to the family.
“The President and First Lady expressed their deepest condolences to the Alfayoumi family as they mourn; their prayers that Wadea’s mother, Hannan Shahin, makes a full recovery; and their commitment to keep speaking out against anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim hate and violence,” the statement read.
Biden's address came just one day after his visit to Israel, where he engaged with Israeli government officials, the survivors of Hamas attacks, and delivered remarks announcing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
His visit emphasized unwavering US support for the Jewish state as it prepares for potential military action in the region.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. More than 1,400 Israelis have lost their lives due to terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza.
Simultaneously, thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli strikes targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip.