B'nai B'rith International leadership expressed disappointment in President Biden's State of the Union address for not mentioning the rise in antisemitism, President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel Mariaschin said in a statement.
Riklin and Mariaschin called on the Biden administration to codify the principles of the 2019 White House Executive Order on Combating Antisemitism. They also renewed their call for a domestic antisemitism czar who would serve as a counterpoint to Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Deborah Lipstadt.
Riklin and Mariaschin noted Biden's statement that Israel has a right to go after Hamas. They said any ceasefire agreement must not allow for Hamas to rearm, and Israel must be able to continue its mission to remove Hamas from Gaza.
Positive response to Biden
"Former hostage Mia Schem—along with families of some 17 hostages still in captivity, recently released, or killed in captivity—was a guest in the gallery. Their presence during the State of the Union address was an especially fitting and meaningful way to call attention to the hostages’ plight, and to remind the world that Hamas started this war,'' according to the statement. "The yellow ribbons and dog tags that some members of Congress chose to wear in honor of the hostages are a powerful reminder that those captured by Hamas are not forgotten."
Riklin and Mariaschin praised the Biden administration's policies pertaining to Social Security and Medicare programs as well as the Affordable Care Act
"B'nai B'rith has a long history of engaging with Congress and the White House on areas of mutual concern. In the year ahead, we remain committed to calling on the president and other elected leaders to speak out against anti-Semitism and advocate for policies that bolster the security and prosperity of Israel," the statement said.
In a statement, The American Jewish Committee said it applauded Biden and the bipartisan members of Congress for reaffirming the US' commitment to bringing the remaining hostages home.
"We are grateful to the bipartisan group of lawmakers who brought family members of the hostages and a survivor to tonight’s State of the Union and to President Biden and his administration for their continued efforts to negotiate a deal that would lead to the hostages’ release," AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in the statement. "Making clear the U.S. commitment to such a deal during the State of the Union is an undeniably strong statement to the rest of the world."
AJC also praised Biden’s announcement of the temporary pier the U.S. military will establish in Gaza
“As the U.S., Israel, and the international community continue to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans, we must ensure that it is delivered to those who really need it – and not Hamas, the Iran-backed internationally recognized terror group that perpetrated the massacre on October 7 and continues to endanger both Israelis and Palestinians. Hopefully, this new operation will help to make that happen," Deutch added.