Joe Biden has been met with both criticism and support after reaffirming his commitment to Zionism at a Hanukkah reception held at the White House earlier Monday night.
Around 800 people attended the event to celebrate the eight-day Jewish festival, which began on Dec. 7 this year and is observed with a nightly lighting of a menorah.
During the reception, Biden pledged to continue supporting Israel in its war with Hamas and condemned the "surge of antisemitism" around the globe as "sickening," reported Newsweek.
Biden defined himself as a Zionist, which is an international movement that originally aimed to establish a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later supported modern Israel.
"You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist and I’m a Zionist."
While he doesn’t always agree with Israel’s policies, he added: “Were there no Israel, there would not be a Jew in the world who is safe."
Biden’s statement was met with loud cheers in the room, but it also sparked controversy on social media.
Some users criticized him for openly declaring himself a Zionist, while others expressed their support for the president.
The president also addressed the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, which began with an Oct. 7 Hamas incursion of southern Israel.
The Israelis responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing over 18,000 people and injuring nearly 50,000.
Since then, incidents of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate have increased in the U.S.
"We continue to provide military assistance until they get rid of Hamas but we have to be careful," Biden said. "The whole world, public opinion can shift overnight. We can’t let that happen."
The sense of division on social media reflects wider division over Biden’s response to the war in Israel.
While some users support his stance on Zionism and his commitment to Israel, others criticize him for not doing enough to address the conflict and the rise of anti-semitism.
