WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said ending Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip would be one of his highest priorities as he ends his presidency.
He also alluded to the threat to democracy he believes Donald Trump poses, one that Biden has tied in the past to antisemitism.
Biden addressed the nation Wednesday evening for the first time since he announced Sunday that he would drop his reelection bid and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
He said he was dropping out to unify the Democratic Party, which has been divided since his disastrous debate performance against Trump last month.
“I revere this office, but I love my country more,” he said. “The defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think is more important than any title.”
Biden was determined to show that his decision not to run would not hinder his agenda as his term winds down over the next six months. He remained committed to what he has long believed are his strengths, foreign policy and maintaining U.S. leadership in the world.
“I’m going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, to bring home all the hostages and to bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war,” he said.
Biden is set to meet Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after Netanyahu vowed before Congress to keep fighting until Hamas is defeated in Gaza.
“The leaders will discuss developments in Gaza and progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal and the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including countering Iran’s threats to Israel and the broader region,” a White House statement said.
Netanyahu is also set to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, who has all but secured the nomination to face Trump, the former president who is the Republican nominee. Biden has endorsed Harris.
Biden also referred to threat to democracy he believes Trump poses, noting that he launched his campaign to preserve American democracy.
“I believe America is at an inflection point,” Biden said. “One of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come. America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division.”
When he launched his campaign in 2019, Biden said he was moved to run after Trump’s equivocation two years earlier in condemning white supremacists who organized a deadly march in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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