President Biden took the opportunity in Atlanta on Sunday morning to connect with college students against the backdrop of tumultuous pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the war between Israel and Hamas that have erupted in recent weeks at several U.S. universities, including Morehouse.
While campus protesters have specifically called on their universities and colleges to do so, they have also expressed opposition to the White House’s financial and military support for Israel’s offensive against the militant Hamas group, as the operation creates a dire humanitarian situation for the Palestinians in Gaza.
📢 What Biden said about the war between Israel and Hamas
The president took the opportunity on Sunday to address students’ concerns about the war between Israel and Hamas.
“What is happening in Israel and Gaza is heartbreaking,” Biden said. He acknowledged the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which also kidnapped nearly 250 hostages that day. Biden also underlined the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, which is centered on the .
In his speech, Biden called for an immediate ceasefire and said his administration is working “as we speak” on a deal so that hostage Israelis can be returned home and more humanitarian aid can reach war-torn Gaza. Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The president said he is also working on a two-state agreement to create “eternal peace” between Israelis and Palestinians in the region in a post-Hamas era so that both sides can have “security and dignity.”
“It’s one of the most difficult and complicated problems in the world,” Biden said of the ongoing conflict.
Biden expressed empathy with students and faculty who have participated in the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, saying, “I know it angers and frustrates many of you, including my family.” (First lady Jill Biden to stop the suffering in Gaza.) “But most of all, I know it breaks your heart. It breaks mine too,” Biden said.
🎓What happened while Biden was on stage
Leading up to commencement, there were mixed reactions within the Morehouse community to Biden’s planned appearance. Some students and faculty at the college called for the president’s invitation to be rescinded, but that request was rejected by Morehouse President David Thomas.
Thomas said the graduation ceremony would be stopped “on the spot” if there was any disruption during Biden’s speech, rather than police removing protesters with zip ties.
But on Sunday, Biden delivered his speech without significant disruptions. One student unfurled a Palestinian flag and held it aloft. Other students turned their chairs so that their backs were facing Biden as he spoke.
After his speech, Biden was offered Morehouse College. At that point, several students walked out in protest, while another raised a fist, with his back to the stage.
🗣️Additional reactions to Biden’s speech
After Biden’s speech, a group of about 100 pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Morehouse campus, including students and faculty, blocked traffic on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard — named for a late civil rights leader and minister.
